Unexpected
by KaylaKat
Summary: A few years after the battle against Bellum, Ciela is still not used to her life as a Spirit. And when she is given the choice to return with Link to his world, a new adventure will begin, in a form she had never imagined... CielaxLinebeck, post-PH. ON HIATUS
1. The Fairy and the Wish

**A/N: Hi, everybody! I'm Kayla, and here is my first Zelda story! It is not my first fic, but it is the first proper one I upload onto this account. I've always loved the couple of CielaxLinebeck. :3 I've had this story in my head for a _long_ time, so I pretty much know what's gonna happen in it. :D Though I _will_ make stuff up as I go. ;P**

**Disclaimer: Just in case you were wondering, I do not own Zelda or any of its characters. Just for your information.  
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** Anyway, before I ramble to both out deaths, here is the first chapter!**

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><p>Ciela sighed, as she looked at the ocean spreading far before her. The waves lapped at the white sand, and in the southern beach of Mercay Island, everything was calm. The only sound were the waves of the sea, back and forth, like the breathing of some gigantic monster. And the seagulls. They flew over her as if inviting her to explore the sky with them. But she wasn't in the mood. She hadn't been in the mood for anything in a long time. Ciela could see a tiny boat in the distance. It probably had spent the day in the port, and was now leaving again, into the vast sea. She followed it with longing eyes until it dissapeared from view.<p>

When the sun started setting, she flew back to grampa's house. Oshus still lived as an old man on the outskirts of Mercay Island, as peace had returned to the World of the Ocean King. Ciela had stayed with him, instead of leaving for Molida Island, where the Temple of Courage was. She prefered her life as a fairy, as she still wasn't used to being the Spirit of Courage.

"I'm home." She said as she flew in through a window. She saw Oshus had left a tiny plate of food for her.

"Hm?" The old man turned to her. "What have you been doing?"

"Nothing, as always." Ciela sat beside the food. Oshus prefered eating whatever whales eat when he went into the sea in his true form. _Ew._ "There isn't anything interesting to do since Link left." She continued in a bored voice.

Oshus looked as her, and didn't say anything for a minute. Then he sighed. "Does your life as a Spirit displease you, Ciela?"

"No! It's not that..." She said quickly. Or was it? "It's just... I miss the adventure, and seeing new places."

"You can always explore the ocean whenever it pleases you. It's our home."

"It's not the same..." She said sadly. "It's not the same without them. Besides, I already know this world as the palm of my hand*.**"**

"I see..." He sat down, a thoughtful look on his face. "Would you like to see Link again?"

"Of course I would!" She said, perking up. But then she sighed again. "But I know it's impossible... We live in two different worlds."

Oshus didn't say anything for a long time. The sky was dark by now. He looked outside the window and spoke carefully, "Well... This world is peacefull now, and it no longer requires the help of the spirits. At least for now."

Ciela looked at him from the corner of her eye. "Your point?"

He sighed again, and looked at her seriously. "I can see you are unhappy here. If it is your wish, I can take you to the other side, where Link and his friends went."

She stared at him for a minute, wondering if he was serious. Her heart started beating really hard, and she had to shake her head to clear it before speaking. _Is this real?_ Ciela thought. _Or is it just another dream of mine?_ "But I have a duty here! You need me, I'm a Spirit."

"I need you to be happy. Also, as I said before, there is not immediate need for your power. I could leave a passage open for you to return once in a while."

"Granpa... Are you saying this seriously?" Her voice broke from unbelieving joy.

"Of course. I could have the passage ready for tomorrow night."

"Oh, grampa!" Ciela flew into the air and around him in exitement. "This is great! Thank you!"

"Now, now, wait a second." He calmed her down a bit. "It isn't that simple. In the world you are going to, fairies are not common. Not to say spirits. Also, if you want to stay permanently, or for a long time, your fairy form would prove quite a problem."

"What do you mean?" She asked, worried that she may not be able to go after all.

"I will also give you to power to turn human, Ciela." Oshus said. "That way, you'll find yourself much more comfortable among the human world. Do you still want to go?"

Ciela gulped. Human... She had lived for many years in company of them, watching them and learning what they lived like. But she had never considered the possibility of becoming one.

"Ciela?"

She nodded fervently. "Yes, of course I still want to go!"

Oshus smiled. "Then I'll have to portal ready for you to leave tomorrow night. I will open it in the sea, where my power is strongest. You will have already transformed when you reach the other side."

"Thank you so much, grampa!" Ciela said. "But I'm going to miss you so much."

"Remember, you must return here at least every year, so I know you are all right and just in case I need you."

"Yes, of course!" Ciela flew to the window, and sat on the edge, looking out at the ocean. She couldn't wait for tomorrow, but at the same time, deep inside her heart, she was terrified. Sometimes she wondered if she deserved to be the Spirit of Courage. But she guessed that courage did not mean not to have any fear, but to be able to push it aside and not let it stop you.

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><p><strong>*Does she even have hands? lol<br>**

**A/N: I know, I know, it's short. Very short. But please take this as a test, just a small prologe to start the story and for you to tell me what you like and dislike, or any questions you might have. Please, **_**please**_** review and tell me how to improve! The next chapters will be longer, I hope. Thank you!**


	2. The Face behind the Window

**A/N: Aw, man, I just found out that "grampa" is spelled with an m. :S English is not my native language, so you'll find lots of mistakes like that one. Nothing else to say; on with the chapter!**

**Edit: I fixed that mistake in the last chapter. Plus some other things, in this chapter too.  
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><p>The sun was grazing the sea by the time Ciela and Oshus, in his wale form, swam into the ocean, away from Mercay Island.<p>

"Hurry up, grampa!" Ciela swam/bounced around his head. She had been extremely nervous all day; she had eaten very little, and had barely slept last night.

"We're almost there..." Oshus answered. He then swam downwards, into the depths, and Ciela followed him. They reached the ocean floor soon; it was almost completely dark, the only light being Ciela herself. She was shining more than usual, exitement having drowned all her previous fear. Some fish swam away in fright.

"Remember," the Ocean King said. "You will probably appear in the sea, but I do not know for sure. You search for Tetra, or Princess Zelda, as I am sure she will have already claimed her position in the throne of Hyrule. Link will be with her."

Ciela just nodded, bouncing up and down. "But, grampa, what will I look like in my human form?"

"Who knows." He said, "As you have no parents to have inherited your looks from, your image will be that of your soul. Which makes me certain that you will be beautiful."

"Aw, grampa..." Ciela shook herself in embarassment.

"Now, then. Are we ready?" He asked, as a light appeared ahead of them, out of thin water*.

"Of course!" Ciela said, starting to swim away.

"Ciela, remember you must come back once in a while, for me to see you."

"Yes grampa!" She swam around him, leaving shiny sparkles in the water. "Thank you for everything. I'm going to miss you." She then turned back to the light and approached the portal warily.

"Be safe, Ciela." He said, as the warm light enveloped her and became as bright as if she were inside the sun itself. The last thing she felt was a pleasant tingling sensation all over her body, untill her strength left her and it all went dark.

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><p>"She's waking up."<p>

"Is she?"

"Yeah, look, she's twitching."

Voices. That's the first thing she heared as she started waking up. She tried to open her eyes, but it was as if her eyelids were too heavy. Her body was numb, she couldn't feel herself. She tried to move, but the only thing she felt was a numb pain in her limbs.

"Hey, guys, look!" The first voice said. It sounded young. "She's starting to wake up."

"Shh! You'll disturb her." The second voice sounded just a bit older.

"So she's alive?" Another high-pitched voice. How many kids were there?

"Of course she's alive, idiot."

"She didn't look alive before."

"What are you up to, kids?" An adult voice said. She tried opening her eyes again, and this time she started to see lights, and blurry shapes.

"She opened her eyes, she opened her eyes!" The first kid spoke again. She started to make out the shapes of some heads over her. Her own head spun.

"Are you okay?" The adult voice asked her. She tried to say something, but she could barely open her mouth.

"Bring her some water, Lino."

"Yesir!" Answered the first voice. One of the heads dissapeared and quick steps sounded on wooden floor. The faces became less blurry now. There was a man, and also a worried-looking young boy and a tiny girl with wide eyes.

"Is she hurt?" Said the little girl.

"No, she's just tired, Tina." The man answered. "Don't worry, go to your room." The girl left, and the other kid -what was his name, Lino?- returned with a large glass of water. Pain shot through her body as she was pushed up into a sitting position. Her head spun. Everything seemed tiny... and when the boy gave her the glass, soft, long hands reached out to take it. But those were not her hands. Even though she could feel the cold water through the glass against the fingers, they were not her own. They couldn't be.

The glass slipped through her fingers, and it rolled off the bed and crashed onto the floor. She could hear the man scolding the kid, and the older boy knelt down to pick up the pieces. But she did not think about them anymore. She looked at the trembling hands before her eyes. Human hands. She did not want to look at herself, but she unconsciously did so. Soft, tan skin... long legs with feet covered by the bedsheets. She was wearing some old clothes, too big for her, and she was in a low, small bed in a corner. There was a closed window on her right, and outside, it was all dark. The only lights in the tiny room were a few candels on a wooden table.

As she started to get the feeling back into her limbs, she tried lifting one arm. It trembled, and it felt heavy and clumsy.

"Are you all right?" The older boy asked her. She nodded slowly, and lifted a hand to touch her new face. Lino came back yet again with another glass of water. This time, he held it out to the other boy, who took it and helped her drink it. Only then she realized how thirsty she was. Her mouth was dry, and she drank every drop quickly.

"Who are you?" Asked Lino. She looked at him properly for the first time. He had long, light brown hair and clear blue eyes.

"Where are your manners?" The man frowned at him, then turned to her. He had kind, dark brown eyes, and dark hair with traces of gray. "Are you feeling better now?"

She just nodded, not knowing if her voice would aid her.

"What's your name?"

What was her name? She wasn't sure who she was anymore. It felt like ages ago when she had last been herself. "Cie-Ciela." She answered. Her voice was hoarse, but she was recomforted in recognizing her own.

"That's a nice name." He smiled at her. "I'm Tad and these are my sons, Mike and Lino. My daughter, Tina, is in her room now."

"Where do you come from? Can you remember anything?" Asked Mike curiously but in a polite tone. He had short, dark hair, and dark eyes like his father.

Ciela just lowered her eyes. She looked at Lino and his brother, and wondered what they saw when they looked at her. She gulped and turned her head to look at her reflection in the window, but all she saw was the face of a beautiful young woman. What was she doing outside, staring at her through the window? Her hair was a light shade of caramel, and her eyes were a warm, light brown. Her skin was slightly tan, and her features soft. She frowned at Ciela, and she wondered what the girl wanted.

Yes, what was she doing here? What was she looking for?

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><p><strong>*As in "out of thin air". XD<strong>

**A/N: The end is sorta simbolic. As if she was asking those questions to herself. So what do you think? Please review! Do you guys prefer short chapters like these, or longer ones? Shorter ones mean more updates, of course.**

**Oh my god! X3 I just had a supergreatawesome idea! Wahhh! ^^ You'll know what I mean in future chapters. :P  
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**Thank you all and see you soon! :D**


	3. So Close

**A/N: And here is another chapter! I'm quite proud of how this story is turning out, and thanks to all of you who reviewed! ^^ You make me so happy.**

**On with the chapter! It's not too long, but I think you'll like it... :3**

Ciela woke up suddenly, gasping for breath. She had had a nightmare again, although she could not remember it. She stood up, rubbing her eyes, and looked out the window. Lino was playing ball with Tina outside. It was a very grey day; although it was not raining yet, the clouds covered all the sky.

She had been staying for three days in this house already. It seemed such a long time. Tad had explained everything to her. He and Lino had found her lying in the beach one morning, when they were out fishing. They had taken her to their home, and they had given her clothes and a bed to rest in.

Ciela had told them that she could not remember where she came from, although she felt guilty to lie to them. They had helped her so much, but what else could she she have said? That she was a magical spirit and came from another world ruled by an old whale? Yup, very realistic.

So she had stayed with them, in exchange for nothing, for three days already. She helped with the cooking, cleaning, and other tasks in the house, but she could not do enough to repay their kindness.

Mike had shown her around Outset Village, where they lived, and had told her what Hyrule was like. He was training to become a guard in the castle. When Ciela asked about Princess Zelda, he explained how she had appeared in Castle Town, which was, back then, a filthy, dark town in decay, full of monsters, and with an empty castle in disuse behind it. Tetra and her crew of pirates had ridden the castle of all its Miniblins, and then she had claimed her throne as the princess. She had started recruiting guards and organizing the towns, and Hyrule had prospered incredibly in just a few years. Ciela told him that she had to speak to Tetra, and when he asked why, she looked away and said she was an old friend of hers. Which wasn't entirely a lie.

On the other hand, she was geting more and more used to her new body. It had cost her a few hours to learn how to walk, but Tad had dismissed it as the effects of the fever. She liked to comb her dark brown hair, and she was becoming less and less clumsy. But the thing she missed the most was being able to fly. Sometimes, she looked up at the seagulls envied them, realizing she should have taken the chance to fly with them when she could. Now they seemed to be mocking her.

At breakfast, which Ciela and Lino cooked together, Tad told them that a group of merchants were leaving that afternoon to Castle Town.

"I asked them if you could go with them, as you need to be in the castle soon."

"But I resume warrior again in more than a week." Complained Mike.

"You'll find somewhere to stay in Castle Town." Tad said. "You might not get another chance in a few weeks."

"All right." Mike turned to Ciela. "Will you come?"

"Huh? Me?" Ciela asked.

"Didn't you say you had to go to Castle Town?"

"Ah, yes, of course!"

"Good." Smiled Tad. "It's a shame your stay has been so short, though. It was nice to have unburnt food for once. My younger son is terrible at cooking."

"Hey!" Said Lino, offended. Tina laughed.

"They are leaving in a ship, ascending the river, and then, before reaching the Ocean Land, continuing on foot to Castle Town." Explained Tad, ignoring the reproachfull look Lino sent him.

Mike nodded, and started to clear the table.

The rest of the day passed really quickly. Ciela went to the beach with Tina, made lunch, helped with the clothe washing, and prepared her bag. Tad had insisted in giving her the clothes she had been wearing, food for the journey, and even some rupees. Ciela had tried to refuse, but that man was as stubborn as he was kind. He told her the clothes had once belonged to his deceased wife, and that he didn't want them to be rotting away in some old box, with no-one to use them. That had left Ciela quite speechless, so he took the chance to thrust the bag into her hands.

Now, she and Mike were on the tiny harbour of the village, saying goodbye to the rest of the family. Ciela had become rather attatched to them in her short stay, and she thanked Tad many times before boarding the ship. He told her to come back to visit them any time, and she agreed and thanked him again as the ship left the harbour. She and Mike waved back at Lino and Tina, who watched them with sad faces.

Once Mike's family had left, he disappeared inside the ship. Ciela passed the time walking around the boat, looking around, while the sailors got everything ready to leave. The ship was medium-sized, powered by engine, larger than... larger than the ship she and Link had sailed in so long ago. There were just a few people apart from them both; most of the load was cargo and stuff.

They set out soon, bordering the coast, once everything was ready. Ciela hadn't been in a boat for a very long time. Had she been in one since Link left? No, she didn't think so. The feeling of the waves splashing against the prow reminded her a lot of the adventures she had been on. She sat on the port side of the ship, her legs hanging down the side. She sighed as she rested her head on the railings. She realized that her new adventure had finally started, and she smiled and closed her eyes. She sat there for a long while, listening to the familiar sound of the sea. Maybe she even fell asleep; but the sudden horn of the ship shocked her awake and made her sit upright and clasp her hands over her ears. When the booming noise subsided, she saw what the ship was greeting; a tiny house on the top of a cliff. It looked quite outcast, there on its own, and very simple, but Ciela liked it. There was a tiny forest beside it. A figure came out of the cottage and waved at the ship as it entered the river and sailed by. But it was too far for Ciela to see clearly. Then they passed under a wooden bridge and the house dissapeared from view.

**A/N: Tada! Although chapters are very short, I'm very proud of myself. Pleasepleaseplease review! And thank you for reading! Next chapter... coming soon. ;) (I hope. I'll try to make them a bit longer.)**


	4. The Dream

**A/N: Hi, everyone! ^^ I just came back yesterday from vacation! That's the reason why I haven't updated in a long time. I'm leaving tomorrow again, for another two weeks! D: So I rushed this to make you guys happy. I hope it does. :3  
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Their ship arrived at a small harbour at sunset, when the sun was a great orange orb hanging just above the water. They all disembarked and started walking towards Castle Town, visible in the distance. The road was full of stones and the merchant's carts bumped the whole time. Ciela tripped often; she had never walked this much in her new body, and she was thankful for her scarce luggage. Mike walked beside her most of the trip, although he often left to go to speak with the other men.

They walked until it was almost dark, and Ciela wondered when they would stop to spend the night. They had entered a small forest, with dark trees grown together tightly. The road was narrow and bumpy, and the horses pulling the carts neighed, restless. The tall branches arched over them menacingly, and an eery wind lifted, rustling the leaves and making Ciela shiver in cold and fear. She was the Spirit of Courage, yet she felt quite unnerved.

Just when she believed she could not go one step further, she spotted some lights behind a cluster of trees, and she saw that they had reached a small inn. It looked old and decadent; some windows were missing, or half-hanging on their hinges, and the wooden walls were dark and dirty. The white -now grey- paint was peeling off. An old lady, that seemed to match perfectly with the house, greeted them as they reached the inn, and led the tired travellers inside. The rooms were all were dusty and dark. Most men had shared bedrooms, but the old woman smiled at Ciela and gave her a tiny room for herself, which even had a window with no cracks. Ciela hastily thanked her and walked in wearily. There was a small bed, a dusty table and a chair that looked ready to fall apart any minute. The woman gave her a creepy smile and left her to unpack. Well, she didn't have anything to unpack, really. She sat on the bed and sighed. It seemed strange that earlier that day she had been walking on the beach with Tina, and that tomorrow she would finally see Link again.

She heard some steps, and she looked up to see Mike coming in. "Everything all right?" He asked, and leaned against the door frame. Ciela nodded, but didn't say anything else. He looked around the room. "Yeah, I know this is not exactly the nicest inn in the Forest Realm, but hey, it's the closest one to the harbour."

"It's all right." She smiled. "When will we be arriving tomorrow?"

"We leave early, so make sure to get a good night's sleep. If everything goes all right, we will reach Castle Town before lunch time."

"Great!" Her exitement returned, but she realized how hungry she was. "Are we eating dinner?"

"Uh..." Mike scratched his head, and made a face, "The food here is not very good, so we better eat what we brought with us. Save some for breakfast, though."

"Sure, thanks." Ciela smiled

"So, see you tomorrow, I guess." Mike said, and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Ciela pulled her bag up onto her knees, and took a wrapped-up sandwich from within. In between bites, she changed into more comfortable clothes, and brushed her hair. Although she was still a bit hungry, she left her second sandwich for tomorrow. She then used part of the water in her water bottle to brush her teeth, and to wash her face. She would fill it up tomorrow; but she didn't want to go outside to look for the fountain now.

She shook the bedsheets to rid them of some of the dust, and then lay down with a tired sigh. She closed her eyes and went to sleep almost immediately.

She dreamed she was in a dark, wooden corridor. It swayed from side to side slowly, as if it was in a boat. She looked down to find herself a fairy again, her body emiting warm light and sparkles. She flapped her wings, but she realized she had forgotten how to fly. With a strangled cry, she fell to the floor. The breath was knocked out of her as she crashed onto the wooden boards. She shook herself, dazed, and beated her wings with all her might, willing herself to rise and fly, and she managed to move a few feet forwards. She sat for a minute to rest, and she suddenly thought in dismay that she might not be able to learn how to fly properly again. But a nearby yell made her look up. The corridor ended just a few meters away, in some stairs going upwards. She gritted her teeth and put all her strength into flying up those stairs. Her wings ached with the effort, and she reached the top just when her strength left her. She dropped to the ground, gasping for breath.

Ciela looked up, and her tiny heart seemed to skip a beat. She was on the destroyed deck of a ship. A very familiar ship. Large pieces of it floated around the one she was on, and the only noises were the creaking of the sail masts and the soft waves. The sky was dark with purplish, heavy clouds, and the silence seemed dense and unreal.

The Ghost Ship.

Suddenly, something large burst out of the black sea, splashing the floor and Ciela with sea water. She held onto the wooden boards as she could, and when the wave was over, she shook herself, coughing. She looked up, and her light paled in horror.

Bellum floated over the ship, his large yellow eye staring staright at her. Ciela trembled, paralyzed in fear. She looked away from the hypnotic eye, and her eyes were drawn to its tentacles, which held two limp shapes. One was a young boy in green clothes, the other was a blond girl. Ciela cried out to Link and Tetra, but they seemed to have fainted.

What had happened last time? Something was missing. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and memories, and she shook herself in confusion and desperation.

Bellum slapped her away with a tentacle, and she crashed against a wall with a shriek. She barely had the strength to look up, and when she did so, she almost fainted in terror. Bellum's eye had been replaced by a gaping mouth, with large, sharp teeth dripping with blood. Bellum held one of its tentacles above it, the one holding Ciela's best friend.

"Link!" She screamed, and she tried to fly towards him. But she realized she had become human again, and Bellum was out of her reach. She ran towards them, but the monster floated high up in the air, where she could not fly to anymore. She jumped, with her arms outstretched towards Link, but he was too high. She screamed his name, over and over. But he would not wake up.

And, as Bellum's tentacle dropped him into his jaws, Ciela did.

She sat up is shock, drenched in sweat, her arms outstreched before her as if Link was still there. When she realised where she was, she lowered them slowly, looking around the dark room. Her breathing slowed, as well as her heart beat. _Just a dream._ She sighed in relief. _A dream._ She used to have lots of dreams. Some from her lost memories, some as prophecies, or, since Bellum had been killed, she used to have nightmares. Well, she still did, obviously. Though she hadn't had any so vivid in a long time.

She took a sip of water and lay down again. But she could not sleep. This was driving her crazy. Even her dreams refused to picture him anymore. Since he and Link had left, she had found it impossible to forget him. But, day by day, she had convinced herself that she would never see him again. Until even the thought of him was too painfull to bear. But now, with the possibility that she might see him again soon, everything came crashing down on her. It was a mixture of fear, exitement, joy, and regret. What will he say? Will he be glad of seeing her again? _If he will, he will probably hide it. Yeah, that would be just like him._ Ciela closed her eyes. It was as if, suddenly, she had unconsiously realised that trying not to think about him was foolish and just made it worse. _Linebeck..._ It was weird to whisper his name after so long, after so much time of trying to forget him. And it wasn't that painful anymore. _Who knows, I might even see him tomorrow..._ Ciela smiled as she fell into sleep, with no more nightmares.

**Yeah, that was another very short chapter, and the ending was a bit rushed. Besides, I'm not very happy with it. :/ But hey, I did my best and I wrote this quite fast! I'm leaving tomorrow morning and I wanted to update. :3 See you in two weeks! Thanks for reading, and _please_ review!**


	5. The Pirate Princess

**A/N: Hi, everyone! :D *Gasp* Could this be...? Is this my longest chapter yet? Is it? It is? It iiisss! 8D It's so looong! I'msoproudofmyself. :3 There are lots of references here to Spirit Tracks, and maybe to Wind Waker, too. Problem is, I've never played Wind Waker. XD So some stuff here was a bit tricky for me, like the personality of some characters. So... I dunno. I tried. X3 I do have Spirit Tracks, though, so I loved writing this chapter. You see, it involves lots of description. It you've played Spirit Tracks, you might recognize some stuff. If you haven't, I highly recomend that game.**

**All in all, I loved writing this extra-long chapter. It just seemed to spill out of my fingers. :3**

**I hope you enjoy... *drumroll* ...Chapter 5!**

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><p>The Castle of New Hyrule rose majestically before the travellers as they left behind the forest and Castle Town came clearly into view. Ciela had never seen such a big building in her whole life. Well, perhaps the Temple of the Ocean King, although, as it was buried almost completely underground, only part of it could be seen from the outside. The thought of it brought a twinge of homesickness to Ciela, but it was drowned with the curiosity and exitement she felt upon arriving at her destination. <em>Just a bit more.<em> She thought. _I'm very close to Link. I can feel it!_ She wondered if it had something to do with her Spirit powers or it was just intuition. Probably a bit of both.

Her eyes vere so intent in the beautiful stone building in the distance, that she had forgotten to watch her step. Her foot struck something hard, and she tripped over, onto the hard ground. She managed to land on her hands, but the wind was blown out of her all the same. A man helped her up, but the rest of merchants barely spared har a glance. Why, of course, if women couldn't handle the journey, why come? Ciela gritted her teeth. If they knew of her real identity... They wouldn't feel such disdain.

"Are you all right?" Asked the man who had helped her up. He was a thin, aging man, with greying hair and rough hands. "You should watch your step more carefully."

"Thank you." Ciela brushed the dirt from her clothes, and looked at what had made her fall. She gasped. "What is this thing?" From where she was standing, two wide parallel metal lines stretched east and west. They were joined by perpendicular wooden boards all the way. One side seemed to go farther than Castle Town, while the other stretched back the way they had come.

"These? Haven't you heared about the Princess' plan to revive the railway system?" The man started walking as to not be left behind. Ciela followed, staring at him blankly. "These rails, called the Spirit Tracks, cover all of New Hyrule. We've crossed some before, but you probably didn't see them because they are mostly buried in earth and vegetation. There is a legend that says they were originally built be the spirits, as chains to keep an evil demon locked up inside the earth. See that tower in the distance?" He pointed to a tall tower in the northern horizon. _Okay,_ thought Ciela, _The Castle is now is second position in my 'The largest thing I have ever seen' list._ "That is the Tower of Spirits. The legend says it acts as a lock for the demon's prision, and all the magic energy of the Spirit Tracks centrated there. Many believe this story, including Princess Zelda herself, but there can't be such thing as demons and Spirits, can there?" He laughed, and Ciela pressed her lips together in an attempt to keep silent. Even if she revealed the truth to these people, that Spirits _did_ exist, and that she herself was one, how would she prove it? She hadn't been able to use any of her Spirit powers since she had been turned into a human, and it definitely wouldn't help that these people started considering her as a lunatic. So, instead, she changed the subject slightly. "So what is this plan the Princess has?"

"You see, a long time ago, the rails were used by the people of these lands as transport. They used trains to carry goods and people around the kingdom. Which wasn't called Hyrule at that time, by the way. There used to be a branch of the royal family reigning here. They were not as powerful as the original Hylian family, and they didn't have as much knowledge of magic. They were just a small part from the Royal Family, relatives from Princess Zelda, who had been given the task of bringing peace and order to these lands." He laughed again. "There isn't much information about that period anyway. But for some reason, they started falling into decay. The royal family fell apart, the villages started battling between themselves, and the railway system slowly stopped being used. Monsters that had been kept at bay for hundreds of years used this opportunity to get hold of Castle Town and other cities. The population decreased dramatically, and these lands, once a peaceful kingdom, became ruled by poverty and crime." The old man sighed, his good humour completely gone.

Ciela was dumbfounded. This man seemed to know so much about the story of these lands! "How do you know all of this? I didn't know anything about New Hyrule before Tetr- I mean, Princess Zelda arrived."

"Of course you didn't." The man smiled proudly. "I used to live here way before the Princess was even born. You see, half of the people of New Hyrule are immigrants from the The Great Sea or other places. Only a small part used to live here before. Besides, I am one of the court's historians. The Princess has a big interest in the past of these lands, so she has hired a few natives who know about our history. I am one of them; I am going back to Castle Town after a small investigation in Outset Village."

"Wow." Ciela was finding out a lot about the kingdom she was in just from talking to this man. She was sort of glad she had tripped over that rail thing. "So what happened next?"

"So you are interested in the history of your land, eh?" The man smiled. Ciela's stomach twisted a bit when he said 'your land'. Not exacly unpleasantly. "I don't see youngsters like you often. They are just interested in the present and the future." He laughed once again. This man, although he was very inteligent and kind, was starting to give Ciela the creeps with his random laughs. "Well, when the princess arrived here, she was the captain of a pirate ship. Imagine that! A princess, as a pirate! She and the rest of her crew broke into Castle Town, then a true nest of monsters, and kicked them out easily. It took them just a few days to rid the city of all its monsters, when my people had been trying for decades! Then, the pirate princess took her rightful place at the throne, and started putting order to these chaotic lands. The poeple followed her immediately. She had freed them from their poverty and fear, and now she was their just leader. People from all over the Great Sea came to her when she claimed her throne as Princess Zelda. She recruited an army and rid the rest of the land from its monsters, and named it New Hyrule. Her power is such that she managed all of this in just a few years! So now she is concentrated in restoring the railway's original splendor. She has a whole team of engineers working on it. For now, she has managed to repair the western side of the plains, the rails connecting Castle Town and Aboda Village."

Ciela said nothing. She was looking intently at the Castle, much closer now, where the heroine of this story must be at that exact moment. She had never imagined Tetra was so powerful, or had so much authority. If she was really the saviour of all these people, maybe it would be harder than she thought to speak to her. Maybe she would be too busy. But she had to see Tetra. Because Link would be with her. And Link would know where to find Linebeck.

"So what did you think?" Said the old man eagerly. "You have just heard a summary of my years of investigation!"

"It's... impressive, sir." Ciela managed to say. She realized the man deserved some more admiratiom, and she smiled at him. "The story of your land is trurly interesting! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me."

"No, thank _you_. As I said before, it's hard to find someone so young so interested in the past. It makes my day."

They had reached the entrance of Castle Town by now. It was a large stone archway with Hylian engravements. Ciela couldn't read Hylian, but there were also beautiful engraved drawings and shapes. She fell behind, staring up at the huge archway. Before it, there was a stone platform, just beyond the rails. Just some way to the West, a few strange looking machines stood on them. _These must be the trains that man was talking about._ Ciela had imagined them like ships, only on rails instead of water. But they barely resembled boats. They had many edges, and a flat front, and you seemed to enter them from theside rather than the front. They were much narrower and they were joined, as in a chain. Ciela then realized she was far behind, and ran to catch up with the rest of the travellers. She slowed her pace as she walked into the city, looking around curiously.

The first thing she noticed was how grey it was. Everywere she looked, she could only see stone buildings, firmly built from light-grey rock. At first, they seemed cold and unwelcoming, and Ciela felt small and unimportant in this solid fortress. She was also surprised at how calm it was. Mike had told her the city was large and busy, so she had imagined it like an extra-large market at Mercay Island on market day. But here, the people seemed to be gentle and tranquil. The only people yelling across the street were some kids playing ball. It wasn't exactly hushed, though. There was a serene atmosfere, buzzing quietly with chatter and news exchange. People came up to the newly arrived merchants and asked them about the stuff they had brought, how everything was in Outset Village. Ciela walked down the steps without hurry, breathing deeply and taking in everything around her. She watched the kids laughing and cheering when they scored a goal between two majestic lion statues. She saw three women, carrying their shopping, gossiping in a corner. She smiled and nodded her head as one of the travellers waved goodbye at her and started walking down a road. Slowly, the city seemed to open up to her. It didn't seem cold and rigid anymore. It felt alive with its inhabitants, ready to protect them with its firm stone walls.

All the merchants were now separating, saying goodbye to each other and going their own ways. Mike walked up to her. "Hey. How are you?"

"I'm fine." Ciela felt a bit resentful at the fact that she had barely seen him in the second half of the journey. "What are you going to do now?"

"I'm staying with my uncle, who lives in the northern part of Castle Town, near the castle itself." He pointed towards the palace. "Tomorrow I resume my training as a warrior, so I'll be getting ready this afternoon. Do you want to come for lunch? If you have nowhere to stay, I'm sure we can find a space for you."

"No, thank you." Ciela didn't want to meet anyone new at the moment. She wanted to get to the palace soon. She tried to sound nonconcerned, but she knew that, if she didn't manage to speak to Tetra and Link, she would have to find some place to stay the night. "There's something I need to do."

"Oh. Well, if you need anything, my uncle's house is just down the northern road. He's the owner of a ceramics shop."

"All right. Maybe I see you around." Ciela started walking away, in the direction of the castle.

"Okay. Where are you off to?"

He sounded genuinely curious, but Ciela knew that if she revealed her connection to Tetra, he was bound to ask more questions. And she wanted to find Link as soon as possible. She had waited too much time. But she didn't want to lie to him either. "I have to... find someone. A friend of mine, who lives here, in Castle Town."

"All right." He seemed to understand she was in a hurry. "See you later, then." He said, in a dissapointed voice, and walked away.

"Bye." Called Ciela after him. He waved back, and was swallowed soon by the crowds of people. Ciela sighed. Now she just had to reach the castle, and find a way to speak to Tetra. She started walking along the main road, looking around curiously. Regardless what she had told herself, she stopped often to look at a shop, or to ask a citizen something. She was beggining to really like this city. It was full of life. She often saw soldiers patrolling around the streets. They were mostly young boys, like Mike, who looked much older only because of the spears they carried and their serious faces. But what surprised Ciela the most were not their young ages, but their clothes. All soldiers wore bright green clothes with drooping, pointy hats. Just like Link's clothes. Ciela's heart hammered whenever she saw them, and she looked between their rows every time, although she couldn't see Link anywhere.

After the short walk, she reached the end of the road, which opened into a plaza where there were various stalls selling food. Delicious aromas floated up to her, and her stomach growled. She realized she hadn't eaten anything since early that morning. She looked into her bag and found a small purse with the scarce rupees she had been given. She looked around the food stalls, and finally bought herself a vegetarian sandwich. She sat on a bench and chewed slowly, giving herself time to think about her next move. She couldn't exactly walk into the castle, could she? Would the guards believe her if she told them she was a friend of the princess? ...Maybe. It was worth a try, anyway. But when she looked up at the castle gates, guarded by one guard on each side, she saw a woman with a child walking in, with just a sideways glance from one of the soldiers. Ciela wiped the crumbs from her mouth with her sleeve and followed.

Through the gate, and into a large garden they walked. More guards clad in green stood along the wide stone path, or patroled around the bushes. No-one stared at her or questioned why she was there. Ciela looked around quickly, then her eyes returned to the woman and her child. Maybe the castle accepted visits? Her heart leaped with hope. They walked hand in hand, the kid chattering exitedly about the warriors of the palace. He could only be around seven years old, and the woman seemed to be in her mid-forties. She wore simple cream-coloured clothes and was a little overweight. The kid had untidy brown curls and a round face full of freckles.

As they reached the main entrance to the palace, they stopped and one of the guards walked forewards. Half of the double door behind him was open wide, and Ciela could glimpse carpeted floors and decorated walls. The doors were a dark shade of brown and seemed heavy and imposing.

"Name?" Asked the guard to the lady in a very bored voice. He was not wearing the normal green uniform, and he seemed older than the rest. His post was probably more important, and required a more experienced and responsible man. He was way taller than Ciela and the other lady, and looked quite imposing. He had tan skin and wore a dark red bandana over his head. He held a leather-bound notebook in one hand, and a quill in the other.

"Minervina Oxwood, and her son Telmo." Said the lady. Her son pulled at her dress, saying 'mum... mummyyy... when will I see him?'. She looked down frowned at the kid. "Be quiet, Telmo. In a minute now."

"Do you have an appointment?" The guard drone on, as he wrote something down.

"Yes, indeed. Since two weeks ago." The woman said in a slightly offended tone.

"Reason for visit?"

"My soon wants to meet the Princess' Hero and an autograph from him." Said the woman. Telmo squealed in exitement, clutching a tiny notebook to his chest.

_The Princess' Hero?_ Ciela's heart started beating faster. _Could it be Link? After all, he's always been by Tetra's side, and he saved her more than once._

The guard seemed slightly annoyed at her request, but he finished scribbling on the paper and stepped aside. "All right, you may come through. You will be escorted to meet him in a minute." The other guard nodded for them to follow him, and led them inside.

Once they were gone, the tall man looked questioningly at Ciela. "Aren't you with them?" Ciela shook her head, reddening under his stare. "Do you even have an appointment?" He said, not even bothering to ask her name.

"Um... I... w- well... I- no." Ciela stammered, and shook her head again.

The guard sighed, muttering something under his breath. "Look, the Princess is really busy at the moment, and whatever your reason is, you can't come into the castle without an appointment." Ciela looked at her shoes. "You can request one just outside the Castle gates, although you'll probably have to wait a couple of weeks."

"But I can't wait that long!" Ciela looked up, her embarassment forgotten. "It's really important!"

"Sorry, but that's not my problem." The guard said, and crossed his arms. "I can't do anything about it."

Ciela's heart sank. "You don't understand!" She insisted. "It's not a matter of a simple autograph or a-"

"Now listen!" The guard stepped forewards, scowling down at Ciela. "It's you who doesn't understand!" She recoiled, intimidated. "I have many better thing to do than stand here listening to the complaints of people who come here whenever they want to ramble about how important it is for their lives to meet the Princess, so why don't you just-"

"Gonzo!" A voice sounded from the garden. Ciela turned to see a beautiful young girl in deep blue robes walking towards them across the grass. "You shouldn't be so unkind to citizens." It took Ciela a few seconds to recognize Tetra. She wore no jewelery or make-up, as a princess would have, and she wasn't even wearing a dress. She wore simple, dark blue trousers and shirt, and some comfortable-looking sneakers. But still, she had a new aura around her, imposing and powerful. Although she had not lost that look of hers that caracterized her as the captain of her pirate crew.

"Princess." The guard stepped back and crossed his arms. "I'm sorry, but this shrimp does not want to leave. She insists on seeing you."

"Well, let her see me. Where's the problem?" Tetra asked, unconcerned.

"But there are tons of people who wish to meet you, Your Highness, and have waited a long time to be able to!"

"You know I don't like you to call me that, Gonzo." Tetra frowned.

"I'm sorry, Zel- I mean, Tetra." Sighed the guard, and glanced sideways at Ciela hostilely. Ciela scowled back. Everyone in the city whom she had spoken to talked about the Princess with the utmost respect. How come this man seemed to be so close to her?

"So what brings you here?" Tetra asked Ciela. She walked through the doors and into the palace, motioning to Ciela to follow. Ciela gave one last glance at the unfriendly guard and walked in after her. "Take no notice of Gonzo. He's too concerned about my safety, and, therefore, about rules. Besides, he finds that post deadly boring. I don't blame him, though." Ciela thought they would walk into the main hall, but they turned right and walked along a narrow corridor. "But I heared you arguing, and I do believe it's important to you to speak urgently with me. So tell me, what is it?"

"Tetra- I mean, Princess Zelda..." Ciela didn't know how to start. "You might not remember me... well, you wouldn't, as you didn't meet me in this form... what I mean, is..." They had stopped walking now, and Tetra looked at her quizzically. "I need to see Link." Ciela sighed finally.

"Link?" Tetra now look surprised.

"You see... I'm an old friend of his..." She said, unsure.

Tetra frowned, eying her suspiciously. "Are you just another fangirl of his?"

"No, no. He knows me very well." Ciela held her breath, afraid that Tetra wouldn't believe her.

Finally, Tetra shrugged. "All right. You seem to be telling the truth, and you must have your reasons. Follow me." She resumed walking down the corridor, and Ciela followed. After turning a few corners, she lost the sense of direction. It seemed like a maze. "Where are we going?" She asked uneasily.

"I use some of these secret passageways to escape the castle whenever I'm not allowed to. Don't fall behind or you'll get lost!"

After a while, they finally reached a door, and Tetra opened it and stepped through withought hesitating. Ciela followed warily.

The room was large and elegantly furnished, with wooden furnishing and carpeted floor. There was a beautiful golden chandelier hanging from the cieling, and a large four-poster bed. Two large windows gave a perfect view of the Tower of Spirits, now much closer than before entering Castle Town. Ciela did not have time to appreciate any more details, because Tetra grabbed her and impatiently pulled her out of the room through a different door. They walked down a few more corridors, now wider and better lit, until they reached another door. Tetra held up a hand to Ciela, telling her to wait, and knocked. Inside, some voices were heared, and, after a second, a guard opened the door. "Princess Zelda!" He said, surprised. Ciela realised it was the same guard that had led the woman and her child into the castle.

"I need to speak to Link." Tetra said simply. The guard nodded and dissappeared back inside. After a few seconds, he came back out, followed by the woman from before and her son, who was clutching his notebok like it was his dearest treasure. They walked away down the corridor, turned a corner and were gone.

Ciela's mind was spinning. This kid had been led to see the 'Princess' Hero', which could be no other than Link. Then... this must be Link's room. Tetra walked inside, and Ciela followed with shaky steps.

"Hey, Link," called Tetra. "There's someone here who wants to see you. She says you know her, too." She closed the door behind them. This room wasn't as large as the one they had crossed before, or as luxurious. But it seemed fit for a prince all the same. A few large windows on the northern wall allowed tons of sunlight in, so the room was bright and clear. There was a single bed in a corner, and the walls were draped in large green cloths with golden embroidery. There was a wooden table in a corner, modest in comparison to the rest of the furniture, at which a young boy sat. He was cleaning a wooden shield, which had the emblem of Hyrule, with a small white cloth. He had untidy blond hair, and was clothed in familiar green clothes. A large sword with a purple handle lay on the table beside him. He looked up when Tetra called him, and set aside his work. He stood up and looked at Tetra questioningly, but then his eyes fell on Ciela. For a few seconds, he just stood there, staring at her. Ciela stared back. He had grown so much! Although his eyes hadn't changed a bit, he seemed older, and taller. Did he recognise her? The look in his eyes told Ciela the answer.

"Link..." She whispered, her eyes tearing up. He said nothing, as he walked up to her and hugged her tightly. Ciela now noticed she was taller than Link. She was used to looking at him from the same level, and it felt strange that now she had to bend down a bit to return his embrace.

They stood like that for a minute, half-crying, half-laughing, until Tetra cleared her throat, and said, in a half-annoyed tone:

"Will some one tell me what the heck is going on?"

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><p><strong>AN: All that LinkxCiela was just friendship. Okaay? I wrote it with that intention, at least. XD**

**Special thanks to icearrows1200, my best (and only, for the moment -_-;) reviewer. Thanks so much! :D  
><strong>

**Guys, if any of you have played Wind Waker, please help me with the character personalities. I've done some research to get the information I need, but if you see any error, please tell me. You see very little of Tetra's pirates in Phantom Hourglass, and I'm planning on having them appear on the next chapter. Also, how many of you have played Spirit Tracks?**

**You must be dying to see some of Linebeck. ^^ Sorry! But it's my story, and I have a tendence to delay important reunions. So you'll just have to wait! XD**

**I thought I had the story planned out in my head, but I'm starting to think it might be a bit boring. I haven't thought about having a major problem, like an evil guy, or a kidnapping, or anything like that. But it could be more fun. Ideas, please! I need fun ideas from you guys! :D**


	6. The Vision and the Bomb

**A/N: Hi, guys! :D Thanks for all your reviews!**

**The next chapter is going to be centered around... Hyrule castle and its inhabitants! 8D *is shot to death by readers* *drinks purple potion and recovers 8 hearts* ...Yeah, I know you want to see Linebeck already. XD But hey, it's my story, after all! ^^ And although I might use some of your ideas, I'll do whatever I want with it! Mwahahaha!**

**Anyway... On with chapter 6! This one is also long!**

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><p>Tetra hit her glass with her spoon a few times lightly, silencing the room. She stood up from where she was sitting, at the head of the long table, and looked around the faces staring up at her. The table was narrow, and extremely long. It stretched all the way to the other end of the huge hall, where a large map showing all New Hyrule hung. Around the walls of the hall, other paintings depicting various landscapes hung in between velvet curtains, each of which had a large embroidery of the Royal Hyrule symbol. The table was draped in a white cloth, with silver cutlery and elegant glass goblets.<p>

Despite it's large capacity, the table only had nine occupants. Eight of which now looked up attentively at the Princess of Hyrule. Ciela sat next to Link; she had already explained everything to him and Tetra.

"I now wish the guards to leave the room, and to stay outside the doors as to not let anyone disturb us." Said Tetra in an authoritary tone. The green-clad guards that stood motionlessly in the corners of the hall bowed quickly and departured through different doors around the room. When they had all left, Tetra picked up her napkin delicately and held it with two fingers. She gently rubbed her pouting lips in an exagerated lady-like manner. Then she threw it behind her and started laughing. The other pirates joined her, and she stood on her chair. "Finaly!" She said loudly. "I couldn't stand one more second being under the stare of those annoying guards!"

"Yeah," laughed a short pirate with long front teeth. "Although they are just concerned with your safety, Princess."

"Yeah, right." The tall one whom Ciela had argued with earlier said sarcasticly, "As if an assassing could sneak up on her while she is eating dinner with a whole crew of pirates."

Tetra laughed again. "Yup, the fact that I've survived my whole life in a dangerous pirate ship was just luck!" The crew chuckled in agreement. "Although you are not exactly the right person to say so, Gonzo. You are pretty over-protective yourself!"

That silenced him, and he crossed his arms, irritated. The rest of the crew laughed at him and Ciela could not surpress a giggle.

Tetra waited until the noise and laughter died down. "So, not that we got rid of those tiresome green brocolis, I-"

"Hey!" Said Link in an offended voice, "Watch who you're calling brocoli!"

"I didn't call _you_ brocoli!" Tetra held her hands up defensively.

Link pointed an accusing finger at her. "You call them brocoli because they ware green! Therefore, you are calling _me_ brocoli too!"

"Ehh... right." Tetra realized how surrealistic this conversation was. "Whatever, Link." Link continued to stare at her. "...sorry?" She tried. Link crossed his arms and looked away pointedly. He didn't like people making fun of his clothing.

"Anyways, I haven't brought you all here just to make fun of the guards and talk about brocolis." Resumed Tetra. "In fact, we have a very important guest." She pointed to Ciela, and everybody turned to look at her. She blushed under all the stares.

"Um... hi... I'm Ciela." She introduced herself awkwardly. Tetra had told her she wanted to introduce her to the rest of her pirate crew, and she had reclutantly accepted. She'd had some nasty experiences with pirates before, and she had to remind herself that Link himself was part of that crew. But now, with all of them staring down on her with varying grades of curiosity and hostility, she couldn't help wondering if she should have refused. Tetra had been very happy to know who she was, but Link had explained that the rest of the crew did not completely believe their story of the Ghost Ship.

"Although she looks human now, she is one of the three Spirits that helped Link save me when I was captured by the Ghost Ship, when-"

"Surely not that story again, captain?" Interrupted the short pirate with large front teeth. "Didn't we agree it was impossible?" The other pirates nodded in agreement.

"We never agreed such thing!" Tetra crossed her arms, and narrowed her eyes. "I'm telling you, we were gone for _ages_ and Link had to save me from a giant monster called-"

"-called 'Bellum', yes, we know the story." Interviened another short pirate with large glasses. "But you were gone for barely five minutes! We have no proof that-"

"Your captains _word_ is proof enough!" Tetra was practically yelling at this point. Link, sitting beside Ciela, slapped his forehead, as if saying, '_Oh, no. Here we go again._'

"Miss, maybe you both hit your heads with something, and-" started saying the pirate called Gonzo.

"We did _not_ hit our heads with anything and we were _not_ gone for only five minutes!" Screamed Tetra, banging her fist against the table.

"But there's no _proof_!" Said the one with large teeth again. "Space-time dimensions and Spirits can't possibly exist!"

Ciela was sick of it. "_Silence!_" She yelled, standing up. All the pirates went silent, and turned to stare at her. Link looked at her worriedly. The only sound was her agitated breathing.

"I am _tired_ already of people denying my own_ existence!_" She said, feeling the rage building up. She remembered the old man, laughing at the people who believed Spirits could truly exist. She remembered the faces of mistrust she recieved every time she asked an obvious question in town. Her anger burnt her from the inside, stretching down her arms, reaching for her fingertips. She suddenly felt powerful again, like when she had wings and Spirit abilities. She didn't even recognize her own voice. "_You say you have no proof of the incidents that happened after you captain was abducted by the Ghost Ship._" She sounded distorted, like her voice was being heard from far away. The pirates looked at her with wonder, some with genuine fear. Link watched her with a mixture of awe and anguish. Her fingers burned, and she couldn't help looking down at them. She found them glowing with a soft, golden light, shining with power. She looked up, and suddenly lost control over her actions. "_Well, I'm proof enough!_" She said, raising a hand and slashing it through the air. It left a trail of sparkles on it's wake, and suddenly the room turned dark.

Everyone was left speechless, and during the few seconds during which nothing could be seen or heared, no-one dared to say anything. Suddenly, the darkness seemed to start lifting, but the scene before them was not the large, luxurious hall in which they were before, but the desolated view of a wrecked ship. Tetra and Link gasped in fear, and looked around for Ciela, but she wan nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, something dark burst from benieth the ocean, rising in the sky over them. Tetra screamed and covered her eyes. Link couldn't believe it. Bellum floated above them, it's large yellow eye swivelling in its socket. The other pirates were left speechless and paralyzed with fear.

"_This is the monster Link slayed in order to save your precious captain._" Ciela stood right under Bellum, apparently fearless, as she stared straight at the dumbstruck pirates. An unnatural golden light surrounded her, and her eyes seemed to be white, shining with their own light. She looked powerful and fearsome, nothing like the nervous young woman Tetra had spoken to before. From her back, a pair of large, double wings had grown. But they seemed transparent and untangible, much like the light they released. "_Do you now believe what they have gone through?_" The pirates nodded slowly, never taking their eyes off the giant monster above them.

Suddenly, the air was blown out of them and they were sitting in their original places, in the dining hall of Hyrule Castle. Tetra blinked a few times, taking in the scene around them, and looked at Link. He was breathing heavily, and clutching his head with both of his hands. Looking at the rest of her crew, she found them in similar states. But Ciela was nowhere to be seen. Tetra stood from her chair and walked over to Ciela's with shaky steps. On the leather cushion lay a small fairy, shining softly with a warm golden light, with a pair of wings enveloping it.

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><p><em>Ouch...<em> The first thing ciela noticed was how much her head hurt. Blood throbbed in her temples, and she felt very dizzy. She opened her eyes slowly, and waited as everything came into focus. _I can't even feel my body..._ She tried to sit up, and found a very familiar lightness. _What...?_ She looked down, _Where is my bod-?_ She blinked a few times, and realized with an anguished cry that she had become a fairy again. She extended her wings and sat up. She flew into the air easily, but was too tired to stay airbone for long. She dropped onto the bed, her heart hammering. Why had this happened? She vaguely remembered using her magic to create a vision for the pirates, but then, she'd probably fainted or something. She looked around. She was in a small bedroom with just a tiny window through which she could see the dark night sky. A couple of torches hung on the walls to give the room light. There was no-one else here, and there was an eery silence in the air. Everything seemed much bigger again, as if she had forgotten the feeling of watching the world from a fairy's view. Everything seemed scarier, too, but it probably had more to do with her unsureness than with her size.

It was oddly recomforting to be in her usual form. She had missed the lightness of her body and the warm glow she released unconsciously. She had been so sad at the thought of not being able to fly ever again. But it was not right. She was in a human world now, and she new she had to return to her other form. Anguish seized her heart. _What if only Granpa had that power?_ She thought in desperation. _What if I've destroyed his spell and now I can't turn into a human again?_

Ciela closed her eyes and took a deep breath. There had to be a way. She concentrated deeply in remembering what it felt like to be human; the absence of wings, the heavy limbs. But also the assurence her new size and strength brought, and being able to interact with humans as equals. She allowed her Spirit powers to envelop her, and started to feel a slight tingling sensation on her skin that grew to a painfull burning. When she thought she couldn't take anymore, the power slipped through her fingertips and she lay back, exhausted, on the bed. _I can't do it._ She thought in desperation, as tears started to work their was into her eyes. She closed them tightly. "I can't do it!" She restrained a strangled cry of frustration, and hit the bed with her fist. The her hand rebounded and the bed bounced slightly. Ciela opened her eyes, and looked at her shaking fist. A large, human hand, with fingernails and tan skin.

Ciela sat bolt upright, looking herself over. "Yes!" She touched her face, feeling her soft features, and laughed of pure joy. She could change her form at will! She stood up and ran to the window, watching her reflection. Yes, it was her alright. She couldn't wait to tell Link!

She opened the door and poked her head outside to look around. The corridor was narrow and lit by more torches, but was unfamiliar. There was no-one in sight. She stepped outside cautiously and closed the door behind her quietly. Then she walked along the corridor, hoping to find someone.

It all happened very quickly. Ciela was about to reach a wooden door, when her nostrils caught the smell of something burning, and she heard a strange sizzling noise. Before she even had time to bring her arm to cover her face, there was a blinding light, and she was blasted away with such force that she was not conscious of hitting the ground, and she couldn't breathe for a few seconds. Sound seemed to come after, as if in delay. A deafening explosion that seemed about to make her ears burst. It left her a continuous whistle in her head, and sparkles flashed before her eyes.

It took her a minute for her head to stop spinning and to be able to open her eyes. Before her, the entire corridor had been blown up, and the floor was covered in rubble. She tried to sit up, but a sharp pain hade her give a strangled cry. She looked down, and saw that a piece of a large wooden beam had her trapped by the legs. She tried her best to pull free, but it was useless. She heared some voices and running; probably the explosion had alerted the whole palace.

"Help!" She yelled, but in the confusion it was hardly probable for someone to hear her weak voice.

She heared steps close by, behind her, but she couldn't twist her body to see beyond the large rock before her. "I'm here!" She yelled hopefully. The steps, which sounded like just one person, stopped abruptly. "Please! I'm just down the corridor." Ciela breathed a sigh of relief when the person seemed to hear her and started running towards her. Ciela looked up to the short pirate with large front teeth looking at her worriedly. Ciela remembered how she had been furious at them before for not believing Tetra, and felt awkward asking him for help.

"Please, call someone, or help me get out of here." She pleaded.

The pirate was visibly anguished. "C-can't you get out yourself?" Off course, after Ciela's display of power, anyone could think she could easily get out from beneath some rubble.

"No!" She said in frustration. "Can't you see?"

"I-I'll get Miss Tetra." The pirate sprinted down the hallway. Ciela doubted Tetra would have time, with all the chaos in the palace. Once again, Ciela closed her eyes and concentrated with all her might. It was hard to think about anything but the pain in her leg or the confusion around her, but she somehow managed to bring that warm sensation to her skin again. She willed herself to become a fairy once again, and, all of a sudden, her heart gave a sudden lurch and she landed on the hard floor, panting in exhaustion. She sat up and checked that she had become tiny again indeed. Despite how tired she was, she managed to lift herself up into the air and fly down the corridor. When turning the corridor, she almost flew into Link, who stopped in is tracks and watched her incredulously. He was followed by a few soldiers.

"Are you all right, Ciela? I was told that there had been an explosion near your room."

Ciela nodded. "I got trapped in between the rubble, but I managed to free myself." She figured Link had lots of work to do, so she decided to wait before telling him about her new ability. "We'll talk later."

Link nodded, and carried on running across the corridor. Ciela sighed and looked for an exit; she was terribly tired and wanted to find a place to sleep peacefully.

* * *

><p>"We are <em>not<em> dividing the Kingdom!" Tetra slammed her fist against the table, making the glasses of water tremble.

"But it seems to be the only way, Your Highness." A man with a long, white beard and glasses said. Other wise-looking men sat around the table, which had a large map and papers all over it. "The rebels are getting more violent every day, and they won't rest until you leave the throne."

"So what makes you think that they'll be appeased with just half of the land?" Tetra walked around the room, her brow creased in worry. Ciela sat atop Link's head, quietly watching the scene. Link and other warriors stood against the walls silently, while Tetra argued with her counselors. There was a fire crackling in the fireplace, and the walls of the room were covered in portraits of important-looking men and women.

"Surely they will cease fire for a while, and you will be able to re-organize your forces and prepare for battle." Another man said.

"I _do not_ wish to start a war in my own country." Tetra said decisively. "There has to be a peaceful solution."

"As I said before, the rebels will not cease fire until you leave the throne."

"So that the Kingdom will be eaten up by monsters and vermin again? Ha! I'd say not." Tetra made a fist with her hand, a resolute look in her face. "This is my Kingdom now, New Hyrule." She said this, not in a greedy or possesive tone, but in a quietly determined voice, as if determined to protect her people from harm with her life. "In any case... how did those rebels manage to get inside the castle? Surely they couldn't have managed by themselves." She said this in an innocently curious tone, as if trurly ignoring the answer. But the sarcasm was clear in her voice. "Gentlemen, I am ashamed to say there is a traitor in the castle. I want an investigation made on every single soldier and servant. That's all for the moment. You are dismissed."

Ciela was impressed at the power and authority with which Tetra spoke to her subjects. The men stood up and left the room, muttering between themselves. The soldies followed, leaving Link, Ciela and Tetra alone in the room.

"Tetr- I mean, Princess..." Started Ciela, but Tetra laughed.

"Please call me Tetra, Ciela. We are friends, after all." She smiled at the fairy. Ciela glowed in embarrasment.

"Well, I was saying... Do you really trust these people?" Ciela wondered if her question was too bold; after all, they were Tetra's own counselors, chosen by the princess herself. When Tetra didn't answer, she began to rectify herself. "I'm sorry, Tetra, I didn't mean-"

"No, you're right, Ciela." Tetra frowned, looking into the flames of the fireplace. "I do not put my decisions in the hands of those old vultures. They are not concerned in the safety of the Kingdom; they care only about the profits the palace and themselves shall get. Besides... I believe the rebel infiltrate is one of them."

"You do?" Ciela bounced up and down in anger. "How dare he! Why don't you arrest him inmediately, Tetra?"

"I do not have provf." Sighed the Princess. She continued in a secretive whisper. "That's why I have Zuko, one of my pirates, spying on him."

Ciela said nothing. Now that she was here already, with Link, she felt relieved and successful. But it seemed the castle was full of problems. Besides, she didn't know anything about Linebeck yet. The thought was constantly nagging at her heart.

"There are some good news, though." Resumed Tetra. "I have almost finished clearing and repairing the eastern train tracks. I just need someone to take the test train along them." She looked at Link meaningfully. Link nodded, and looked up at Ciela.

"How about a train ride?"

Ciela blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Link has the job of taking the test train to try all the new tracks." Explained Tetra. "Tomorrow he has to take it all the way to Outset Village, and back."

"You have friends in Outset Village, don't you?" Asked Link. Ciela nodded excitedly.

"That's great! What's it like to ride a train? Is it like a boat?"

"Not exactly..." Link scratched the back of his head, wondering how to describe it.

"Come on." Said Tetra, walking towards the door. "We can talk somewhere else. I mean, if you'd rather stand in the strategic room chatting, it's up to you." She said, and left. Link and Ciela followed.

"So you can drive a train?" Asked Ciela, as they followed Tetra along the different passageways.

"It's not that different to a ship." Said Link, shrugging. "It's simpler, in fact."

"Talking about ships..." Started Ciela. She wanted to know about Linebeck, but she was embarrased to ask.

"You're wondering about Linebeck, aren't you?" Guessed Link, with a sideways glance at her.

Ciela blushed, the light around her turning bright orange. "Well- not really! I mean, who would want to see that stupid coward, anyway? N-not me, definitely!"

Link giggled, and Ciela reddened deeper. "It's not like- like I miss him or anything!" She stammered. "I'm glad I don't have to see him, in fact! I was just reminded of him, because we were talking about boats, you see. I haven't really thought about him at all!" Lies, lies, lies.

Link laughed, and Tetra, who was in front, looked over her shoulder at them. "Linebeck? You mean that sailor who owned the ship you used to save me from the Ghost Ship?" Tetra laughed too. "He's such an idiot! He almost broke my statue, remember! I could notice _that_! But he's a nice bloke. He lives just off the Ocean Realm, and often comes to visit the castle."

"But he's almost always out sailing." Intervened Link. "But we can try to pay him a visit with the train. Tetra, are the tracks to the Ocean Land ready too?"

"I think they go far enough, yeah." She said. "Although the bridge needs repairs. But you don't need to cross the bridge, do you?"

"Nope." Link smiled at Ciela. "So what do you say, Ciela? You really _do_ want to see him, don't you?"

Ciela's heart beat almost painfully against her chest. Yes, she missed him loads, and she wanted to see him as soon as possible. But it would be humiliating to admit so! _I mean, he really is a jerk._ She still remembered clearly how he had failed to swallow his pride and properly say goodbye to her. Did he regret it? "Well, I don't really have a major interest in seeing him..." she lied again, "But if we don't have to take a very long detour, we might as well pass by to say hi."

Link raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Tetra sent her a knowing smile, and Ciela gritted her teeth in frustration and embarrassment.

They finally arrived at Ciela's bedroom. She flew off Link's head and twirled in the air. There was a flash of light, and she was a human again. She had been practising, and it was much easier now, almost natural.

"Well, goodnight." she said and opened the door to her bedroom.

"Goodnight." Said Tetra with a smile, and begun walking away.

"We leave a bit early, so make sure to sleep well." Link waved and turned to follow the Princess. But he looked over his shoulder once more, "I bet you're exited about tomorrow!" and ran to catch up with Tetra, giggling.

It sounded like an innocent, genuinely good-natured remark, but Ciela knew the meaning behind it. She slammed the door, her cheeks flaming. It was _her_ that would usually make fun of other people's crushes, not Link! She turned to her bed, but stopped in her tracks.

Wait, had she really just thought that?

She almost kicked the bed in frustration. She _did not_ like Linebeck _at all_! _He's an arrogant, self-centered, naive, greedy, stupid jerk! And so remarkably vain! And a coward!_ She dropped onto her bed, burying her face into the pillow.

And the best thing was, she would finaly see him again tomorrow!

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm not terribly happy with this chapter... ¬_¬ There wasn't anything really interesting in it. But I wanted to get Ciela to be able to transform at will, and I find the scene at the end funneh. :3 But was Link too giggly? D: I don't like characters being out of character, but I tried my best. Although do tell me if you find that any of them is acting a bit weird, like they wouldn't, because I can edit it later on to match their personalities better.**

**By the way... Yay! I reached 10000 words! 8D**

**I am considering putting this story into the "Spirit Tracks world" section, because it all happens there, and there are even some characters from Spirit Tracks. What do you think?**

**Thanks for reading! Please review to tell me what you think! Tell me what made you lol, what made you say 'blah', ect. Thanks!  
><strong>


	7. The Train and the Tower

**A/N: Hi guys! Ladies and gentlemen, Miniblins, fluffy winged balls or whatever you are, wecome to Chapter 7: The Train and the Tower! Yes, this is the part we've all been waiting for! (Me included!) Yup, you know what I mean. Also, before reaching... _that_ part, you'll witness the result of the great idea I told you about back in chapter 2. Remember?  
><strong>

**So, without further ado, I give you... *drum roll* ...Chapter 7!**

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><p>A piercing sound shattered the air as Link pulled the whistle rope. Ciela covered her ears and closed her eyes tightly. When it passed, she sent a reproachful look at Link, but he was busy pulling warious levers and pressing different switches to get the train ready. She observed him quietly as he set the controls ready, wondering how he found driving a train simpler than a boat. The train was small, and made mainly out of wood. It consited only of the engine and a tiny, rudimentary wagon. Link had explained to Ciela how it was used to test the new tracks, and that it wasn't completely safe. Ciela scorned him about safety, telling him sarcastically that it was probably more dangerous than Bellum. With a final push on a large lever, the train gave a thrust into motion. The force of the sudden lurch startled Ciela and almost made her fall backwards. She held onto the door handle, and Link laughed a bit when he made sure she had not hurt herself.<p>

"Liiink!"

Ciela and Link turned, surprised, when a voice called him, and saw Tetra running after the train. Link quickly stopped it, just as it was leaving the platform. Tetra caught up, panting, and jumped on. She was wearing a cloak that covered her head, probably so she wouldn't get noticed in town.

"What is it, Tetra?" Asked Link, confused. He put the train back into motion, as it was obvious that Tetra was coming with them on the train.

"I need to go to the Tower of Spirits. Can you take me there?" Tetra removed her cloak and hanged it beside the door. Underneath, she was wearing simple, comfortable-looking clothes, much like the ones she would wear on her ship.

"Why are you going there?" Asked Link.

"Do you really need to know everything?" Huffed Tetra. "Well, I need to speak to the Lokomo sage there. You see, I want to fix the Ocean Realm tracks next, as Papuchia Village is a great source of food like fish and other stuff, and it'd be useful to have a quick transport system. But I have no idea how those rails work above water, so I want to ask Anjean about that kind of tracks."

Link nodded, setting a route to the Tower of Spirits.

"What are Lokomos?" Asked Ciela, looking out the window at the huge tower.

"They're a race that serves the Spirits of Good." Explained Tetra, sitting on a chair and leaning back, her arms behind her head and her feet on the control panel. "There is a Temple in every land, and a Lokomo sage guards each one of them. Including the Tower of Spirits, of course, which is the most important. As the tracks were theoretically built by the Spirits, they know lots about them. Anjean, the sage from the tower, is helping me a lot with rebuilding them."

"There are Spirits that guard these lands too?" She asked, turning back to her.

"Yeah, but they are not like you. Well, I guess so; I've never _seen_ them." Tetra shugged. "They protect these lands from above, and the Lokomo tribe watch over us humans."

"I see..." Ciela said, thoughtfull. So there were other kind of Spirits beside the Ocean King's servants?

"We'll be arriving soon." Said Link. The tower was, indeed, much closer now. "I guess I can just drop you off there, Tetra."

"Come with me, at least to say hi." Said Tetra reproachfully. "You know how much Anjean appreciates us coming to the tower. Besides, she'd like to meet Ciela, and you two are in no hurry."

"Yeah, all right." Said Link, pulling the train through a huge green archway. Ciela poked her head through the window, looking up at the high doors were. The wind whipped her hair across her face, and her eyes watered, so she took just one peek at the enormous tower before putting her head back inside. The train slowed down as it entered through another pair of large doors, and Ciela looked around. The inside was large and spacious, with high ceilings and lit with gently coloured orbs of light. The train tracks passed straight through the middle, but there was a large stone statue of a train in the centre. Link stopped the train in front of it, and hopped off. Tetra and Ciela followed. There was a large stircase that seemed to go upwards into the tower, and other large archways that led outside in different directions.

"Welcome, Princess Zelda." A voice made Ciela turn. An elderly woman in a strange wheeled device sat before them.

She had greying hair and many age wrinkles, but her eyes had a look in them that was very much alive. Ciela liked her as soon as she saw her; she could feel this was a very wise and kind person.

"Thank you, Angean." Tetra nodded, and turned to Ciela. "You know me and Link, but I'd like you to meet Ciela." Angean looked at her, interested, and Ciela just nodded in acknowledgement. "You might not believe this, but she comes from a different world, which is ruled by an Ocean Spirit. She is a Spirit herself." Ciela flinched slightly when she said all this; she prefered keeping her identity secret. Although Angean did not seem too surprised, let alone incredulous.

"Indeed, I do sense an incredible power within you." Angean adressed Ciela directly, "Although I have never heared from this world you proceed from. Please do tell me about it some day." Angean smiled, and Ciela smiled back timidly.

Steps were heared, and they all turned to look at the stircase. A young child approached them, observing them inquisitively. He must have been around the age of Lino, but his disquieting amber eyes made him look much older and intimidating.

"Byrne, Princess Zelda has come to visit us." Angean gestured towards them. "And there is someone new with them. Can you sense the power she possesses?"

Ciela blushed under his scrutinizing gaze, and awkwardly presented herself. "My name's Ciela... I come from very far away."

"From a different world, huh?" His child voice did not fit in with his serious look, and Ciela found herself slightly daunted by this young boy. "And you are a Spirit? You don't look like one."

"I am a different kind of Spirit to those from these lands," explained Ciela. "Probably not as powerful."

Byrne narrowed his eyes, and Ciela noticed Angean looking at him dissaprovingly. The old Lokomo cleared her throaght. "This is Byrne, my apprentice. He is training to become the sage in charge of the Dark Realm." She turned to Tetra. "So what brings you here, Princess?"

"I wanted to discuss with you the track restoration at the Ocean Realm."

"Ah, yes." Angean nodded. "They are slightly more complicated than the Forest tracks."

"Actually..." Link intervened, scratching the back of his head. "We two should get going. We were testing the rails..."

"True, you better go." Said Tetra, with a dismissive hand wave. "See you later."

Link nodded in farewell, and climbed onto the train. Ciela followed, waving goodbye. Tetra waved back, and Anjean smiled, but Byrne said nothing as he watched the train pull out of the station.

* * *

><p>As the train sped away from the Tower, Ciela wondered what the young Lokomo apprentice had been thinking. There was something in him that unnerved her. Maybe it was his inquisitive stare, or maybe the fact that he was the future Dark Sage. But she could sense in him a deep hunger for power, and she was sure Anjean could feel it too.<p>

"Link..." She asked her friend, "What's with that boy? The Lokomo apprentice?"

Link sat back from the controls, a thoughtfull look in his face. "He's always been quite sinister. He did seem to be quite interested in you when you said you were a Spirit, though."

Ciela gulped, uneasy. "Isn't he a bit young for training?"

"Well, Anjean says his job is the most important one besides guarding the tower. You see, evil is attracted by the Dark Realm, and he will have to make sure it does not become corrupted. That is why the Dark Temple is sealed away for the moment." He frowned, "Although Byrne is almost one hundred years old, in fact."

"_What_?" Ciela's jaw dropped.

"Yeah, Lokomos live ten times longer than humans." Link shrugged, "Forgot to tell you."

Ciela sat back, staring out the window. These lands were full of strange things she had never imagined. The train turned in a wide curve, and she held onto the door handle again.

"Do you like it?" asked Link, "The train, I mean. It's not like a boat, but it's nice enough, isn't it?"

"Well..." Ciela made a face. The train gave lots of sudden lurches, bumped a lot, and tilted uncomfortably in the curves. Ciela wouldn't exactly describe it as 'nice', or 'pleasant'. She still remembered clearly the slow, rocking movement of a boat, that always relaxed her so much. She closed her eyes unconsciously as she remembered the fresh smell of the sea, and the feeling of the wind on her face.

"Ciela?" Link waved a hand before her eyes worriedly. "Are you alright?"

"Eh?" Ciela realized she hadn't answered his question yet. "What? Oh, yeah, it's not too bad."

"It'll take us about half an hour to reach Linebeck's house." Said Link, standing and reaching for the whistle rope. "It's about half way through to Outset village."

"Really?" Ciela said, in unconscious excitement. "That's grea-!" She was cut off by the loud whistle. She covered her ears again, grinding her teeth, and when it had passed, it left a ringing sound in her head. "Hey, what was that for, Link?" She said, aggraviated.

"There were moinks on the tracks." Shrugged Link. Ciela looked out the window. Indeed, she could see little fat cows running out of their way. "What were you were saying before?"

"Oh, nothing." Ciela said causually, waving her hand in a non-concerned way. "Just... that this train is... surprisingly fast, yeah."

* * *

><p>Link cut the engine exactly at the right spot. The train lost speed slowly, until it was barely moving at walking speed. Ciela found herself frowning in suspense as she watched it nearing the line, willing it to go just further enough. And it stopped completely right before passing the line.<p>

"Link, you're amazing!" Exclaimed Ciela, as her friend opened the door. "How much time have you been doing this for?"

Link scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Just a few months." Then he jumped onto the ground, and turned to look at Ciela. "You coming?"

She nodded, and followed. Looking around, she spotted a small house near the cliff, and it seemed strangely familiar. She didn't think much about it, though. They walked together to across the grass, circling a small stream to reach a wooden bridge. Soon, Ciela's knees started shaking. Out of tiredness, of course. Being in that tiny seat for half an hour could really make your legs go numb! Besides, why would she be scared, or even excited, at the thought of seeing that jerk after so much time? As if she even cared about him!

_Oh, god._ She thought, slapping her forehead. _I'm starting to sound like Linebeck._

They finally reached the front door, which was slightly open. Link was about to step in, but Ciela grabbed his arm and whispered in his ear, "Wait, don't tell him just yet who I am." She giggled, "I want to see if he can recognize me." Link arched an eyebrow and gave her a look, as if saying 'Well, If you _really_ have hope of that', and poked his head in through the door.

"Linebeck?" He called, and stepped in. Ciela followed, with butterflies in her stomach. The inside of the house was small, and lined with shelves. She could see various kinds of treasures and strange items displayed on them, and there was an open door to another room at the back.

"Kid?" Ciela's heart leaped painfully when she heared his voice coming from the room at the back. Such an annoying voice, full of memories. "Is that you?" Steps approached, and Ciela found heself making tight fists with her hands, her nails digging distressingly into her palms. Linebeck walked into the room, and frowned at Link. "What are you doing here?"

Ciela said nothing; she wouldn't have been able to, anyway. He hadn't changed a bit. And she was sure he was as self-centered and arrogant as always. His eyes fell on Ciela then, and her heart seemed to skip a beat as their eyes met. There was no sign of recognition in his face, but Ciela would have sworn she saw him blush slightly. "And who is this?" He asked the young boy.

Link looked away, scratching the back of his head thoughtfully. "She's... a friend." Ciela recovered from the initial surprise, and her shock slowly turned into irritation. _He doesn't even find me familiar?_ She thought,_ Tetra did not recognize me at the beginning, but she had met me for a very short time! Link didn't have to think twice._

"You don't recognize me?" Asked Ciela, trying to keep the dissapointment out of her voice. "You do know me quite well, you know; you should know who I am."

Linebeck looked at her, frowning and tilting his head to the side. "Well, if I know you, I definitely can't remember you." He crossed his arms.

Ciela giggled. I was kind of fun, playing with him like this. Her anger dissolved slightly. "Oh, but I'm sure you remember me. Actually, you've never really seen me as I am now. But we do know each other."

Link laughed as Linebek stared blankly at her. "Are you making fun of me or something? Who are you?"

Ciela smiled, looking at him in the eye, and Linebeck's eyes widened slightly, before frowning again. "I- I think I _do_ know you..." He shook his head. "But it can't be. You must be some other person or something."

"Are you sure?" Ciela put her arms on her hips, smirking. She knew he was thinking about her. "Who knows, you might be right." She took a step forwards, triwling round, and willed herself back to her fairy form. A warm golden light enveloped her, and she laughed when she saw Linebeck's jaw drop. After a flash of blinding light, she floated, airborne, in her fairy form. She looked expectantly at Linebeck, watching his reaction.

Linebeck rubbed his eyes, stared, and rubbed them again. "You must be kidding me.." He muttered, disbelieving. "It can't be... Sparkles, is that you?"

Link grinned, watching them both silently. Ciela flew around the dumbstruck sailor in circles, giggling. "Of course it's me, you idiot!"

"What- what are you doing here? Weren't you in another world?"

"Well, I wasn't really expecting anything else, but you could sound a bit more glad to see me!"

"Why would I be?" Linebeck crossed his arms, recovered, his arrogant dignity back.

"You moron!" Ciela fluttered up and down angrily, but spoke in a light tone, "I haven't seen you in years, and still, you behave like the arrogant idiot you are when we meet again!"

"Why are you human, anyway?" Asked Linebeck, ignoring her bickering. "Besides, weren't you supposed to be guarding your precious little world with that old man?"

"Supposed to be-? You _idiot_!" Screamed Ciela, turning human again in an eye's wink. She stepped forewards, pointing an accusing finger at the sailor's chest. "I give up _everything_ I had on the other side just to come to see _you_- I mean, to come to see Link and Tetra, of course!" She blushed fiercely, fiering up even more because of her mistake, "And I take the trouble of stopping by to see your ugly face and say hi after so much time, and all I get from you are all these nasty things!" She was practically yelling at this point, stooping over the accused, who was leaning away from her with a mortified look in his face. "You are such a _jerk_!"

"Ciela..." Link watched the scene, wondering wether to laugh or be worried. He had never seen Ciela this angry. Well, maybe her fury was more evident when she was human. Or maybe it was the effects of not having had Linebeck to unleash her temper on for such a long time.

Ciela crossed her arms angrily and turned her back on Linebeck, who said nothing as he blinked repeatedly.

"I don't know why I bothered coming here!" Ciela said, still hot-headed. "Really!"

Linebeck seemed about to say something, but they were interrupted when a large dove flew in through the window. It flapped around, colliding into an old vase in the process, sending it crashing down to the floor.

"What the hell?" Linebeck stepped forwards hurriedly, trying to send it back out the window, but Link stopped him.

"Wait, Linebeck, it's a messenger dove from the castle!" Link held out his arm and the bird landed lightly on his wrist. Ciela walked over, and Linebeck watched, annoyed, as Link gently pulled a small piece of paper that was tied the dove's leg and unfolded it. His eyes widened as he read it.

"What is it, Link?" Asked, Ciela, worried. "What does it say?"

"I need to get back to the castle!" Link said as he ran out of the house. The dove flew away, alarmed. "There is a rebel attack going on!"

Ciela and Linebeck followed hurriedly. When they reached the train, they saw Link was already setting the train ready.

"Take me with you, Link!" Ciela protested, stepping forwards.

"Too dangerous, no time!" Link pulled the train into motion. "I'll be back tomorrow at the latest!" He shouted over his shoulder. And with that, the tiny train sped away, leaving Ciela and Linebeck staring after it in silence. Then it turned a corner and was gone.

Both of them were silent for an uncomfortable minute, until Ciela sighed heavily.

"Tomorrow... at the latest." Murmured Ciela, the thought sinking in. "Oh, _great._" She exclaimed sarcastically, scowling at Linebeck. He frowned back, affronted. "So I'm now stuck here with you, am I?"

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><p><strong>AN: ...Yup. I don't really have much to say. :3 You have, though. I know you do. Yup, you are itching to press that button that says "review this chapter". Yeah you are!**

**Please do tell me what you liked, what you didn't, what you missed, what you want in future chapters, ect! I don't mind negative criticism as long as it's constructive! (I'll go cry in a corner later, but it doesn't matter!) So please do review! Am I asking for too much? Come on, I give you 4000-words-long chapters! Pwease? *puppy eyes***

**I've just been to London for a few days, and I went to the zoo! It was my first time ever, and it was also the first time I saw tigers, lions and other cool animals with my own eyes. It was awesome! Although I didn't like the way most of the animals were caged.  
><em>Yes, you needed to know.<em>**

**Ten-year-old Byrne! *runs around squealing* Kyaaaaahhh! X3 So cuuuteeeee! (Fangirly attack! XD)  
>About the Lokomos... I imagine they live ten times longer than humans, (at least in their growing speed), and, if this is set one hundred years before the events in Spirit Tracks, I guess Byrne would be around... what, one hundred years old? XD Which, divided by ten, is... ten. :3 Also, he is not covering his face or wearing his gauntlet, 'cause I imagine he started doing so after he left the tower in search for power... which would be around the time of this story. ¬.¬ *looks away distractedly* I made him the future Dark Realm sage 'cuz it makes sense! I mean, there is a Lokomo for each realm, and the Dark <strong>_**Realm**_** must be a land of its own, too. Besides, if Lokomo are reborn if they die, what sense would it make to have an apprentice to occupy the place of its master? Also, there are the **_**Seven**_** Sages in Ocarina of Time. It makes sense, doesn't it? Doesn't it? D: I've thought about that long and hard, and I've come up with that. :3**


	8. Coexistence

**A/N: Hi, hoomans of the earth!**** :D Sorry for the big delay, I've been busy... with stuff... imporant stuff... like the start of school and all... and other things... thataren'tplayingonmynewWindWakergame,ofcourse. :3**

**There was a big part of the chapter that I got mad at and erased entirely to start again with something completely different. ^^; This chapter was very hard to write, so forgive me if it's a bit weird or something... 8D  
><strong>

**Anyway, here the next episode! You must be expecting loads from this one. I hope I not to disappoint you. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"You can sleep on the sofa."<p>

"Oh, how _gallant_ of you. My sincere gratitude, legendary sailor."

"Shut up, Sparkles. You're lucky enough to have me let you stay in my house."

"Oh, yeah? You're _so_ kind."

"You little-"

Linebeck's tiny home consisted of two parallel rooms on the ground floor and an attic on top. The northern room was sort of divided in half and served as kitchen and dining room as well as living room. On the right, there was a large sofa and a low table, as well as a comfy-looking chair. There were also some wooden stairs that led to the attic, where Linebeck slept.

Linebeck snorted. "If you'd rather sleep in _my_ bed..."

"I'll have the sofa, thanks." Said Ciela quickly, grimacing.

It's not as if she had expected anything different, but it was still rather dissapointing to have Linebeck behaving like the same selfish jerk he had always been. Ciela had alowed herself to hope that he would at least admit that he had missed her the tiniest bit. Yeah, right.

It was already dark outside, and neither the stars or the moon could be seen, as the sky was covered with heavy clouds. Ciela could sense in the air that it was going to rain that soon.

Linebeck walked to the kitchen, looking around. "Ehh... would you mind cooking dinner? Unless you don't mind having bread toasts from yesterday..."

"Alright, you bossy, lazy idiot!" Ciela stormed past him, and began looking through the cupboards. It took her a while to find the stuff she needed. "You're a mess! How do you manage to live by yourself?"

"I manage." Said Linebeck, slightly offended. Ciela got everything ready and began making some pasta. It was lucky that she'd had plenty of practice in Outset Village. She had cooked before then, in Mercay Island, but her fairy body had highly limited her abilities. Now she actually found it quite fun.

Less than half an hour later, she was serving dinner on the kitchen table for both of them.

"You could at least say thank you, or something." She said, irritated, as she sat down across Linebeck, who hadn't said anything yet.

"It's the least you could do, as I'm letting you-" He stopped when Ciela narrowed her eyes menancingly. He looked down at his plate. "...thanks." He mumbled.

The evening went by in a similar manner. Ciela hated it, but she couldn't help heating up upon every little thing._ I mean, it's he who always starts it!_ Maybe she was just nervous at seeing him after so much time.

She cleared the table and cleaned the kitchen, while Linebeck dissapeared into the attic. After a while, she finished and walked into the living room with a sigh. _Great Spirits, I'm so tired._ She thought, _I can't wait to go to sleep, even if it's in a so_-

Something large and heavy landed on her head, making her trip and crash onto the floor. She cursed and sat up, trying to untangle herself from the mass of blankets and bedsheets over her.

"There, you can make your bed with that!" Linebecks voice sounded from above. Ciela was about to retort angrily, but she decided it would be a waste of voice. She just stood up and kicked the covers out of her way. She tried sorting them out, and then made her 'bed' as best as she could. Then she picked up her bag from the floor and walked to the bathroom beside the kitchen.

After brushing her teeth and washing her face, she sat down on her sofa with another tired sigh. She didn't feel like going to sleep yet, though. Tired as she was, she was too restless.

Ciela stood up again and walked through the door into the front room. She hadn't had much time to look around before. The shelves were full of strange objects, weird looking treasures and colourful rupees.

It was kind of creepy, being surrounded by all that stuff in the dark of the night, so Ciela left through the front door, and into the garden. She looked up at the sky hopefully, but no stars could be seen. She walked slowly until she reached the edge of the cliff. A mild breeze lifted, blowing across the grass and whipping her hair across her face. _There's something strange in the air..._ She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. There was going to be a storm; she was sure of it. Just then, a cold drop of water hit her nose, making her flinch in surprise. In just a few seconds, it started raining heavily, the dark drops of water hitting the floor and soaking her instantly.

She ran back to the house, and she had barely stepped inside when a flash of light striked the sky. A deafening thunder followed almost immediately afterwards. She cringed, shutting the door, and shook her skirt to rid it of some of its moisture.

She walked into the living room and took out a change of clothes from her bag. She looked up the stairs. Linebeck hadn't come back out in all this time; maybe she could change right there?

_Eh... nope._ She thought, blushing, as she started taking her stuff to the bathroom. _I'm not taking any chances with this guy._

"Hey, Ciela, why are you soaked?" His voice made her turn around. Linebeck was watching her from the top of the stairs with a dissaproving face. "You're getting the floor all wet. It's bad for the wood, you know."

"I can't. Believe. My luck." Muttered Ciela under her breath..

"What?" Linebeck asked.

"Oh, nothing." Ciela sighed, blushing again. "I was outside when it started raining."

Linebeck stared at her, and then blinked a few times. His face seemed to redden and he turned around quickly. "W-Well, that's pretty lame! Get changed, then! I'm going to sleep now." And he strode back into his room.

Ciela stared after him, wondering what had set him off. She unconsciously looked down at herself, and she realized with horror that her thin, soaked clothes had become slightly transparent. She cursed in a way Oshus would have found deeply inadequate, and ran to the bathroom to change.

Once she was done, she sat on the sofa, sighing again. The storm was raging outside; the howling wind and the thunder would make sleep difficult. Ciela turned the lights off, and lay down, closing her eyes. Even through she was very tired, she still felt restless, and it took her a long time to fall asleep. She tossed and turned, the sound of the rain and the wind unsettling her, until she somehow managed to cross that thin line that separated her dreaming world from reality.

* * *

><p>Ciela woke up suddenly, gasping and looking around wildly. She took a deep breath, trying to slow down her heart. There had been a big storm in her dream too, but she couldn't remember anything else. Just a terrible feeling of terror and desesperation. She sat up and looked around, Her heart still frenzied. She could barely make out the shapes of the room around her. Every shadow made her cringe in fear, and she brought the blanket up to her chin. Visions of blood, death and monsters flashed before her eyes, and she waited in dread for every shadow to become that of her imagination. She covered her face with the blanket. She feared to move the slightless bit, to take the tiniest peek over the cloth. Her lips trembled. She felt so alone, in the middle of the storm.<p>

Why was she so ridiculously scared? A huge flash of lightning made her shriek in terror, but her voice was drowned by the deafening thunder that followed. She closed her eyes tightly. She could almost feel evil presences closing in on her, but she was unable to look up to prove her imagination wrong. She knew she would not go back to sleep now. But how could she stand a sleepless night like this? She did not want to be alone. She couldn't.

Using all of the willpower she could manage, Ciela uncovered her face and placed her feet on the cold floor. She tried to ignore the images of swirling smoke gripping her ankles, and she took a few shaky steps towards the stairs. Once she reached them, she climbed them as fast as she could, even though she knew there was no evil re-dead behind her. She stopped only when she reached the wooden door at the toop, and leaned against the wall, looking at the floor.

She opened the door slightly, and peeked inside. It was too dark to make out anything, though, and she had to wait a few seconds for her eyes to accustom to the darkness. She could see then a bed in the corner with the sleeping shape of Linebeck upon it. She was mildly surprised that he was not snoring. He always snored when they were on the ship. The room was quite large, but the cieling was very low and slanted.

"L-Linebeck?" She whispered across the room. He did not respond. She opened the door a little wider, and stepped in. "Linebeck!" She whispered loudly.

The sailor stirred in his sleep, mumbling, "What? Sparkles, is that you?"

"Yes." Ciela replied.

Linebeck took a few seconds to answer. Ciela thought he had fallen asleep again, when he spoke up. "What are you doing here?" He said, his voice slurred with sleep. "Go away."

"I- I had a nightmare." Ciela said stubbornly. There was no way she was going back down there. "Can I... Can I sleep with you?" She blushed fiercely as she said this.

"Go away, Sparkles... Do whatever you want" Linebeck said contradictorily, and Ciela suspected he was too sleepy to listen to her or to have conscience over his words.

She walked across the room, the wooden floor creaking at her every step. When she reached Linebeck, she could see he was indeed completely asleep again. He was definitely nicer when he was not awake.

Something creacked behind Ciela. She turned around and scanned the room with wide eyes. There was something there. She was sure of it. Her legs were paralyzed with fear, and even though she was afraid of what she would see, now she could not bring herself to close her eyes.

Another flash of lighting seemed to stop time for an instant, and the room came into full view blindingly. But Ciela did not manage to distinguish anything noticable in the mess of the room. Then the world went dark again, and the thunder that followed sent a shiver down her spine. She suddenly felt dizzy, her head spinning. She sat on the edge of Linebeck's bed, feeling extremely tired again. She laid down, her back to the sailor, and covered herself with the blanket. It was warm and comfortable. She unconsciously shifted closer to Linebeck, until thir backs were touching. She sighed tiredly and tried to ignore the raging storm outside.

She fell asleep in a matter of seconds.

* * *

><p>Ciela woke slowly. First, she learned that she wasn't asleep, because she could feel the bed under herself and a slight breeze on her face. Besides, you can't dream when knowing that you're in a dream. Then, she remembered she was in New Hyrule, in Linebeck's house... She opened one eye. The scene before her was unfamiliar. She was in a large room with low cieling and a small window through which sunlight came in. It was a mess. There were books, maps, and other objects all over the place, as well as some empty bottles and a bent lamp.<p>

Ciela slowly remembered, without effort, the previous night. She sat bolt upright suddenly, her eyes widening as she wildly looked around the room. There was no-one else there. Her mouth was dry and her heart hammered against her chest. She dreaded going downstairs and seeing Linebeck. It was going to be terribly awkward. _Why did he have to wake up before me!_ She thought desperately, and and looked out the window. It seemed to be quite late in the morning. _Will he be angry with me?_

Her throat already a tight knot, Ciela stood from the bed and walked across the room to the stairs. She could hear the sound of cutlery below her, and a slight smell of burnt bread wafted up to her. She descended and stepped into the kitchen, where Linebeck seemed to be... trying, to make something for breakfast. She did not make any noise, but he turned when she walked in. Ciela blushed furiously, her fear in the previous night seeming stupid and childish.

"Um... hi." She said awkwardly. Linebeck also reddened, but said nothing. He just stood there, as if waiting for an explanation.

Ciela looked at the floor, scratching the back of her head. "Uh... Sorry about before... there was a storm... And I had a nightmare..."

"And that's why you came to my bedroom in the middle of the night...?" Linebeck crossed his arms, looking away.

"Well, yeah, kind of." Ciela looked away too.

"That's kind of..." Linebeck shrugged, as if trying to make it seem unimportant. "...lame. I thought you were old enough to stand a nightmare."

"Well, yeah, but I've been having these strange dreams, and it was horrible...!" Said Ciela, affronted.

"What did you see in that nightmare?" Linebeck raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

"Well, I can't really remember, but..." Ciela grinded her teeth. "That's not the point!"

Linebeck snorted. "So much for being the Spirit of Courage."

Ciela winced, as if he had hit her. Linebeck immediately regretted saying that.

"Listen, you..." Ciela scowled at him, making fists with her hands. "It's not as if you're the bravest person on earth, as far as I can remember."

Linebeck frowned back. "At least I'm not scared of storms."

"At least I'm not a selfish, unsympathetic moron who treats badly a friend he has not seen in years!"

"Who said we were friends?"

"You... you _jerk_!" Ciela fought the tears that were starting to work their way into her eyes, and closed them tightly. "I thought that after helping to defeat the world together, after living in the same ship for weeks and living through mortal dangers, even after I've come all this way from a different world just to see you, I thought you would actually start to realize how-!"

She was cut off abruptly by his lips pressing against hers. It took her a few seconds to comprehend what was happening. She just stood there, her hands laying awkwardly against his chest. She felt terribly confused. She had no idea what to do, or what to think. Her heart fluttered, telling her to kiss back, but her brain screamed in protest. She felt anguished, oppressed, her previous distress transformed and increased. She started to panic, her heart beating faster, and she pushed away roughly. Linebeck let go of her immediately, backing away, looking as bewildered as herself about what had just happened.

Ciela looked at her feet, touching her burning lips with her fingertips. They were sillent for a few seconds. "Why did you do that?" She finally whispered.

"Ciela- I- I don't know, I just-" he stammered, "-I sort of acted without thinking, I didn't- I didn't want to do that, it doesn't mean anything- you- you know, it was an accident..."

Ciela said nothing, staring at her feet. An accident, huh. Should have guessed as much. Why had she ever been excited about seeing him? After all, nothing had ever happened to explain why she thought that he might care for her the slightest bit.

She was about to enquire him further, when someone knocked at the door. Linebeck turned, and Ciela hurried to open, glad for an excuse to get away from him. Maybe it was Link, finally here to take her back to Castle Town. That would be a relief. But when she opened the door, she was shocked to see a a young boy, very tired-looking, kneeling before the door. He had his head bent, his eyes half-closed, and he seemed ready to pass out any minute. His hair was all out of place and his shoes were grimy and worn-out.

"Hey, are you all right? What are you doing here?" Ciela asked anxiously, kneeling down beside him and placing her hands on his shoulders. She heard Linebeck walking up to them, but ignored him. "Tell me, what happened to you?" She shook the kid slightly. He looked up, with terrified eyes behind a mask of tiredness, and Ciela realized with a jolt that it was Lino.

"It- It came at night," Lino sobbed, "and it t- took Tina..."

"What did? Where is Tina?" Ciela urgently asked him, shaking him a bit, but he had fainted. Linebeck observed in silence as Ciela picked up the tiny boy and carried him towards the house.

"Who is this kid?" He asked, following.

"His name is Lino. He lives in Outset Village." Ciela answered reproachfully. There was no concern in Linebeck's voice, just protest and perhaps some curiosity.

"What is he doing here?"

"I don't know" Ciela stepped into the living room and laid Lino down on the sofa. "He seemes to have walked for a long time. Do something usefull and get a glass of water, will you?"

Linebeck opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again and left. He came back just as Lino was openeing his eyes again. Ciela gave him some water and waited for him to wake up completely and sit up.

"Where am I?" He asked, looking around.

"You are in the southeastern corner of the Forest Realm," said Ciela, "What are you doing here? Did something happen in Outset?"

Lino's eyes widened, as he looked around in fear. "Yes, it- it came when Tina- Tina and I were playing in the beach." He half-whispered.

"What came?" Ciela whispered too.

"I- I don't know," said Lino, "It was like some... some sort of black smoke. But is was heavy and dense..." He dropped his voice, trembling, and Ciela leaned closer, "...and _alive_."

Ciela recoiled, and Linebeck blinked. "What do you mean, kid?" He asked. He sounded unconcerned, but Ciela could hear the uneasiness he was trying to hide. "How can smoke be alive? Sounds like some sort of moster."

"What happened, Lino?" Asked Ciela.

"It sort of wrapped around Tina..." He shivered, wrapping his arms around himself. "Until I could't see her any more. Then it floated into the sky and flew east. I- I tried to follow, but it was too fast and I lost sight of it. But I kept going, because Mike will... Mike will kill me if he finds out I didn't t- take care of Tina properly."

"Where was your dad?" Said Ciela, "Where was Tad when that happened? Why did't you tell him?"

"He's... he's in the city." Sobbed Lino, "He went with some other men and t- told me to take care of Tina until he was back."

Ciela said nothing, her stomack churning. Linebeck was right; it did sound like some evil monster or dark magic. But there was no way of tracking it down now. Even if she went to the castle and told Tad and Link, it would take days to reach them and then organise the search. And by then, what would have happened to Tina? She could sense Linebeck's eyes on her, but she remained silent.

"It said something." Lino spoke up, and Ciela turned back to him. "The smoke... it spoke. It wasn't words., though.. it was more like a strange murmuring. And..." Lino gestured to his own head, "It sounded as if it was- as if it was speaking inside my... head."

"And what did it say?" Ciela asked, apprehensive. "Did you understand anything?"

Lino nodded. "It said... something about..." he looked at his hands, his brow creased in anguish, "...a S- Spirit or something."

Ciela's blood turned to ice, and the colour drained from her face. She could feel Lineebck tense behind her, and she turned to look at him. He stared back at her, his face pale and fear in his eyes. Ciela felt comforted at the same time as as exasperated at his worry. Then Lino spoke again, as if suddenly remembering more.

"It also said he was waiting," he said, "in a... lost station or- or something. That he was waiting there for the Spirit."

This meant nothing to Ciela, but Linebeck frowned. "A lost station? Could that have been the name of a place?"

Lino shrugged tiredly. He didn't seem as terrified now as exhausted. "I don't know. It was 'the Lost in the Sea' or something."

Linebeck nodded, a triumfant look in his eyes. "The Lost at Sea Station. It's an island in the far edge of the Ocean Realm. The most distant spot to the southeast of New Hyrule."

Ciela turned to him. "You know where it is?" The knot in her stomach seemed to loosen up slightly, but she hardly dared to hope.

"Yup. It's empty of people, and there is no sign of civilization except for a large temple in ruins. No-one ever goes to that island."

"It seems perfect for a monster's lair. If it's an island, then we can reach it by boat!" Said Ciela, putting on her sandals and standing up, "Link told me you still had your ship. Let's go, we can't loose time!"

"B-but..." Linebeck seemed reluctant. "The villagers of Papuchia Village... they say that temple's cursed... Besides, that strange monster could be there!"

"That's why we're going, idiot!" Ciela turned to Lino, who seemed ready to fall asleep at any moment. "Lino, can you manage by yourself? Stay here until we return. Don't worry, we'll bring Tina back."

The young boy nodded wearily, but said nothing. Ciela started walking outside.

"Sparkles, I don't think this is a good idea!" Linebck complained, but he was interrupted by the anxious fairy.

"An innocent girl has been kidnapped by a monster! We don't have time to go to Castle Town for help; the fastest way is going there in your ship!" Ciela took his hand and half-dragged him outside, ignoring his protests. "Come on, we know were they are. Who knows what could happen to Tina while we wait?" She paused when they exited the house, "Where do you keep your ship?" Linebeck didn't answer, irritated, and Ciela realized she was still holding his hand. She blushed and let go of it roughly. "Well?"

"And why have you suddenly decided putting me and my ship into this?" Linebeck crossed his arms. "No offense, but you always seem to go looking for trouble."

Ciela decided to ignore the last comment. "Well, I thought that, as you were the only person capable of helping me save a little girl in danger, you might decide to put your fear apart and do something."

He rolled his eyes, undaunted. "Behold, the great Spirit _of Courage_ has spoken."

"You..." Ciela made fists with her hands, barely restraining her anger. She wanted so badly to slap him round the face, but she controlled herself. What he had said had trurly hurt her. Not just the words, but that _he_ should say that. The most cowardly person she knew. Only... he had a point. She hadn't really lived up to her title lately. And exactly for that reason she felt hurt. "So you're not coming, and that's it?"

"Ask someone in Papuchia village to take you." He turned away. "It's just a short walk from here."

"Listen, Linebeck." Ciela pleaded, desperate. "There is no time. I need to get to that temple. Besides..." Her voice turned sour, and she looked away. "You heared Lino. That thing just wants me. It's using Tina as a bait. You just have to take me there, and when Tina is released, bring her back here."

"What- what about you?" He failed to hide the worry in his voice.

"Hah!" Ciela put her hands on her hips, smirking at him. "You're forgetting who you're speaking to. I'm Ciela, Spirit of Courage and Time, servant of the great Ocean King who rules the seas. I sure have something up my sleeve."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hell, YEAH! Cool ending! 8D  
>Being honest, I had imagined this chapter to be much more awesome than this. DX I'm not entirely satisfied.<br>**

**The inspiration for the nightmare part came from my own experience. :3 Long time ago, when I was little, I sometimes wasn't able to sleep at night. I'd go to my mum's room and ask her to let me sleep with her, with the excuse that I'd had a nightmare. XD Yesh, I shcare of da dark.**

**The times are a bit mixed and confused (when they eat dinner, then Ciela goes to bed, and all that, it seems a slightly forced) When I was in Ireland for two weeks, I noticed we ate dinner real early and then it was hours before we went to bed. We even had some bread and chocolate before going to bed. Maybe it was just there, I don't know. In my house, in Spain, we eat dinner **_**much**_** later, and we do practically nothing before going to sleep. So yeah. Whatever. Doesn't even matter. Stupid rambles.  
><strong>

**I was eating curry pizza when I was writing the last part. Yes. You needed to know.**

**Oh, and btw, I'm changing the story's rating, from K+ to T. I don't want to feel... limited, if you know what I mean._  
>God, you're such a pervert.<em>  
>SHUT UP, BRAIN.<em><br>_**


	9. Corridors

**Hello everybody! :D How are you? Eating your salad, sleeping enough? Keeping up with Fanfiction? Good, good.**

**I've been pretty busy with school, but I've managed to get my daily hours of Zelda fan-nes. And I've finally finished this chapter. Just for you, my dear readers. ^w^**

**Ready, set, sploosh!**

Ciela looked out at the sea, her hair waving behind her, and frowned in worry. They were nearing the Lost at Sea Island, where she could see one single stone building at the foot of some low hills. It was still quite far for her to be able to distinguish the details, but it seemed to be huge. Maybe it was just her anguish, but she could almost feel a dark presence around it. She tore her eyes away from the island, looking down at her feet. It was strange to be standing on the same ship she had sailed on so long ago.

She turned when she heard Linebeck walking up to her "So that's the island?" She asked the obvious.

"Yep, we'll be arriving soon, so get ready." He seemed even more nervous than Ciela, though he was obviously trying hard to hide it.

"That monster must be in there," murmured Ciela quietly, mostly to herself. She stared at her hand and made a fist angrily. "…and Tina."

Linebeck said nothing, and they both remained in an strained silence.

Once they arrived, Ciela and Linebeck disembarked from the boat and approached the Temple. The large stone building loomed over them, sending chills down Ciela's back. She swallowed, looking up at the faded markings of the entrance, and frowned.

"I've… I've been here before," she murmured, thoughtful.

"That's impossible," said Linebeck, "You said you'd never been in the Ocean Land before."

"And I haven't," Ciela brought a hand to her chin, puzzled. "But it feels familiar in some way."

Linebeck shrugged and they resumed their walk, reaching the entrance. Ciela eyed him sideways when he continued by her side. She stopped again.

"Weren't you going to wait for me at your ship?" She asked, smirking. "I thought you were too scared to come with me."

"Well," Linebeck crossed his arms, slightly offended, "I can't really let you come in all by yourself, can I?" He blushed when Ciela raised an eyebrow, "I mean, Link would kill me if I did!"

He seemed about to say something else, but Ciela smiled. "Thank you, Linebeck." Ciela said, grateful, "I really didn't want to go alone."

Linebeck crossed his arms, flushed, and turned away. "Well, then let's find this lost kid and go home already."

Ciela nodded and walked into the temple, her confidence strengthened. Linebeck followed, albeit dubious.

Once they were under the high, uneven ceiling, Ciela began feeling observed. Large rock doors with old markings blocked the main entrance.

"Uh-oh," Linebeck took one look at them and shrugged. "I guess we can't go any further. We better go back."

"No we don't." Ciela stepped forewords and started pushing at the doors with all her strength. Despite her efforts, they didn't budge.

"It's useless, Sparkles." sighed Linebeck, rolling his eyes, "They are too heavy, and they probably haven't been opened in centuries."

"There has to be a way." Ciela muttered, leaning against the doors. "We haven't even managed to get into the temple and we are already stuck!" She turned and glared angrily at the entrance. "You stupid piece of stone- _open_!" She yelled, kicking it suddenly. She cursed when her toes struck the hard rock, and stepped back.

Linebeck was about to open his mouth to say something, when they suddenly heard a rumbling noise and the doors trembled. Ciela backed away quickly, falling backwards. She clutched her aching foot as they both stared at the slowly opening entrance. It opened completely and stopped moving.

"You were saying?" Ciela raised an eyebrow.

Linebeck huffed, otherwise ignoring her question. "That monster must be pretty stupid, making it this easy to reach him."

"That's not it." said Ciela, standing up, "It's because it _wants_ us to reach him, remember?" She took off into the temple.

"Hey, wait up!" protested Linebeck. He took one last look over his shoulder at his ship, and followed.

The inside was dark, the only light being the outside daylight entering trough the doorway. Ciela could only see a few feet ahead into the corridor; after that, it was too black to see.

"Well," Said Linebeck. "This does look pretty inviting, doesn't it?"

Ciela huffed, but said nothing, and started walking into the dark, steadily sloping corridor. Linebeck followed her, just a step behind. He kept looking behind them.

"Are you sure you don't want to go back?" He asked nervously. "We could go to Caste Town for help, you know…"

Suddenly, a rumbling noise was heard behind them, and they both turned just in time to see the entrance closing, the last bar of light disappearing and plunging them in a pitch-black darkness. Nothing could be seen at all now, and the only noise was their breathing and a distant dripping sound.

"Huh." whispered Ciela. "I guess you should have said that earlier. I don't have to check to know it's locked now."

Linebeck did not reply, but stared at the spot in the darkness where their last chance to escape had been.

"Where are you?" Ciela extended her arms, searching for him. Her hand found his shoulder, and she held onto him. "We better stay together," she said, "We don't want to get lost."

Linebeck snorted. "We are going to get lost even if we stay together."

They both started walking down the corridor again, their footsteps echoing loudly. Every now and then, Ciela would trip or they would bump into a wall, but they advanced steadily until they reached a dead end. Even after that time, their eyes were not able to distinguish anything.

"Great." Linebeck leaned against the wall. "We are never going to reach the exit like this."

"Wait," Ciela touched the wall, as if looking for something, and she noticed the different texture under her fingers. "This is wood. It's a door!" She found something that seemed to be some sort of strange door handle, but she couldn't find out how to open it. She fiddled with the mechanism blindly, shaking it in frustration.

"Good for you, if you can open it," said Linebeck. Ciela could practically hear him rolling his eyes.

"Well, why don't _you_ try?" Ciela demanded, stepping away from the door and crossing her arms.

"All right," He sneered, reaching out and finding the strange door handle. "You can't even use your own fingers."

"Well, it's not as if I've had lots of practice." Ciela huffed. Half a minute passed, and Linebeck was still fiddling with the mechanism. "Huh. Your fingers don't seem to be working properly either."

"I can't really see what I'm doing, can I?" He replied, irritated, and let go of the thing. "We better forget about this and look for another way. We probably just took the wrong turn."

"Wait a second," Ciela was suddenly struck by an idea, and slapped her forehead. "I can't believe I didn't think of that before! We're so _stupid_!"

"Hey," Linebeck didn't sound so excited, "Speak for yourself, stupid."

Ciela sighed, and brought her hands together to concentrate. She suddenly transformed into her fairy form, illuminating the room with her light. Linebeck covered his eyes with his arm, blinking, and when they became accustomed to the light, he stared at her in disbelief.

"Why the hell didn't you do that earlier?" He asked reproachfully.

"I hadn't thought of it." said Ciela sheepishly. "Anyways, have a look at that door now."

He did as she said, and bending over some strange keypads and trying out different combinations. Finally, they heard a loud _click_ and he pushed the door open.

They emerged into a narrow passageway, which, likewise the previous one, was drowned in darkness.

"Well," said Linebeck, "You go first, torch."

"All right, you coward," Ciela flew ahead, leaving Linebeck to follow.

After a long while of advancing through what seemed to be some kind of underground dark maze, Ciela and Linebeck reached some large wooden doors, and they stopped to examine them. There was neither a complicated mechanism nor need for a key and it opened easily. Before them was another long corridor, and Linebeck sighed in dismay.

"Hey, look!" Ciela pointed ahead. "There are torches on the walls here."

Sure enough, the corridor was lined with blazing torches, illuminating the room. But unlike normal fire, these gave no heat, and the underground cold still gave Ciela goose bumps. This fire also had a pale look to it, as if the flames were dead and colorless.

Ciela swallowed and transformed back into human. Strangely, she felt much more confident when she had her feet on the ground. "Let's go. She said, and they started walking down the passageway. It sloped gently downwards, carrying them deeper into the earth.

They came to a bifurcation, and they paused to decide where to go.

"Let's go that way." Linebeck pointed to the right.

"Why?" asked Ciela, raising an eyebrow.

"I've got a good feeling about that side." He said, crossing his arms and shrugging.

"Well, it's not that I don't trust your unproven instincts, but there are more torches over at this side, so it's better lit. Maybe it's the path we're supposed to be following." Ciela started walking over to the left-hand corridor.

"Huh. Since when are you in charge?"

"Well, since I was the one who decided to come here in first place, and I wasn't the one who chickened out from the beginning and wanted to leave at the first notice of dang-"

She stopped abruptly, looking across Linebeck and into the corridor beyond.

"What?" Linebeck turned, but there wasn't anything there. "What's the matter?"

"Something's coming." Ciela whispered her face pale.

Linebeck didn't seem so sure, but he backed away from the direction where Ciela was intently staring at, and stood behind her. They both watched in silence, hardly daring to breathe. The right-hand passage continued into the distance, until it turned out of their vision. Ciela held her breath as she started hearing something. She strained her senses, and it took her a few seconds to recognize the clanking of metal, and the rhythm of steps. When it became loud enough for Linebeck to hear, he paled too. A large, dark figure turned the corner and proceeded towards them. When it spotted them, it paused for a second.

"_RUN_!" Ciela yelled, grabbing Linebeck's arm and pulling him along into the left corridor. She could hear the noisy armor chasing after them, and they both ran for their lives. They passed various turns and forks, which they randomly took without pausing to think. Ciela's legs tired soon, and she stopped to lean against the wall, gasping for breath. Linebeck skidded to a stop, turning, and uncharacteristically reached for her.

"Come on!" He grabbed her arm and half-dragged her along, and Ciela followed, trying to ignore the burning sensation in her lungs and leg muscles. They spotted a wooden door ahead, and sensing that Ciela would not be able to go on for much longer, Linebeck swung it open pushed her inside, following. He closed it quietly after them, and Ciela slid to the floor with her back against the wall. The room they were in was tiny and empty, and was lit by a single torch.

They both held their breaths as the clanking noises approached. It seemed to be coming towards them. Linebeck backed away, and Ciela kneeled and pressed her ear against the door. The noise increased, until she could hear it right outside the door. It stopped, and for a moment silence pressed upon them. Then the monster resumed its pacing, walking down the corridor and away. They both waited until they couldn't hear it anymore, then Ciela sighed, lying down in exhaustion and relief. The stress had drained all the energy from her, and her lungs still burned.

"What the hell was that?" Linebeck managed to choke out. He was pallid and trembling.

"A phantom," Ciela said quietly, no more relaxed. Linebeck paled even more and gulped. Ciela looked at him, sympathetic, remembering how he must have a strong fear of phantoms. After what happened...

"Are you alright?" Ciela asked, concerned.

Linebeck nodded, avoiding her eye. "What are we going to do now?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Ciela laughed nervously, with no trace of humor. "We can't leave the way we came in. We'll just have to keep looking for Tina, and then find an exit."

Linebeck said nothing, and Ciela stood up with an effort. She opened the door slightly, and poked her head outside. She stepped out and looked around, and then nodded to Linebeck to follow her. They could not afford to make any noise, so they said nothing as they started walking down the dark corridors again.

But they had barely reached the next turn when something cold wrapped around Ciela, pressing against her body; her blood ran cold, the freezing touch paralyzing her body. She bent forwards, wrapping her arms around herself.

"What is it?" Linebeck whispered, alarmed.

What did he mean? Couldn't he see what was-? Ciela looked at herself, and gasped when she saw that there was nothing around her. Was it something invisible? She felt herself, but there was nothing strange about her body. Yet that oppressing, gelid feeling remained against her skin.

"Sparkles, stop acting weird," said Linebeck, "What's the matter?"

"No- nothing." Ciela gasped. Linebeck did not seem convinced, but said nothing as they continued.

Ciela did not find it too hard to walk normally, although the frigid touch remained with her. They soon reached another door, which Ciela eyed suspiciously. They could either cross it or continue to the left. What would Link do? Of course, he would look everywhere, without fear. She reached for the handle, and opened the door slowly. She peeked inside, but it was pitch black. Maybe it would be better to keep going?

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Linebeck asked behind her.

Ciela turned, irritated. "You want to go first?"

Linebeck shook his head, looking away distractedly, "Ladies first."

Ciela scowled at him and stepped decisively into the room. She walked into the middle and looked around. The scarce light that came in through the doorway barely lit the room enough to distinguish its small size. Ciela concentrated, trying to transform, but the invisible ice around her seemed to prevent her from changing form. She turned, about to tell Linebeck to open the door wider, when she felt something slide over her feet. She cringed, and looked down, but her lower half was covered in shadows.

_A rat?_ She wondered. _No, wait-_ She paled as she felt something black wrapping around her legs. These were no natural shadows. She barely had time to scream before the darkness engulfed her, and then she saw no more. She felt like she was falling through an endless, black hole, with ice brushing at her sides and piercing through her chest. She was barely conscious of Linebeck yelling her name, and then of hitting the ground. She looked up, blinking the stars out of her eyesight, and found herself in a large, unfamiliar room. The stone walls and the air told her that she was still inside the temple, but she had no idea where exactly. The ceiling was high, so much that it was too dark to discern the end of the columns. Ciela sat up, looking for any possible threats or exit, and spotted a large platform at one end of the room. It seemed like some sort of altar, with two large torches at the sides and steps leading onto it. She gulped, and turned her head to see a door on the opposite side. Surely she had been brought to this room for a reason, but she wasn't planning on staying to find out. She stood up, grimacing at the pain, and hurried to the closed door. The frigid feeling hadn't gone away, she realized in dismay. She reached the door, which was locked, as expected.

Ciela stepped back, surveying her obstacle. It didn't seem too resistant, as it was made of wood and looked as old as the temple itself. A tiny blast of energy should to the trick. She brought her hands together and closed her eyes, concentrating. The noise might alert monsters, so she would have to run away before they arrived, and look for Linebeck. Worry tugged at her heart. He didn't have the power of the spirits to protect him, like she did, and neither the courage. She would have to find him as soon as possible.

Ciela frowned. Her magic was not doing anything. Her hands didn't even feel warm. Colder, even, as the freezing touch around her seemed to expand with every attempt to use her magic. She tried again, grinding her teeth in effort and frustration. But she couldn't even manage to create a spark. _Maybe my magic will be stronger in fairy form..._ she thought, although already starting to despair, _After all, I haven't practiced much as a human._

But, as she tried to transform, her magic still remained absent. Her heart skipped a beat. Could this mean that she wouldn't be able to use her magic now? Ciela kicked at the door in frustration, but it wasn't as fragile as it seemed. She leaned against it, tired and desperate, but not ready to give up yet. She considered her scarce possibilities. She could either keep trying to open the door, which didn't seem to have much future as a plan, or simply wait for someone -or something- to come and find her. Which wasn't too appealing either. Or she could have a look at that altar behind her. She thought she had seen something on top of it.

Ciela turned and walked warily up to the platform. It was quite high; probably around five or six meters. Once she reached the top of the steps, she spotted a chest, much like the ones Link usually found, in the middle. There was nothing else noticeable, so Ciela walked up to it and opened its heavy lid slowly. She peeked inside, and found a round, pebble-sized gem. It was a pale golden colour, and seemed to glow softly. She wasn't sure about picking it up yet; she remembered times when the room Link had been in had been filled with monsters only after he had opened a chest. Could this be a trap? But she couldn't see how her situation could worsen. She stretched out her arm to touch the gem, when suddenly a voice sounded behind her.

"I'm surprised you made it this far." Ciela drew back her arm quickly and turned, looking for the source of the voice. Before her, at the top of the stairs, stood a young boy, staring at her coldly. Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized the Lokomo apprentice from the day before.

"You look surprised." He sneered.

"What- what are you doing here?" Ciela could tell he was not on her side. "Was it you who captured Tina?"

"No," he said, "but I can barely see how that would make a difference. Your friend is at the bottom of this temple, unconscious and unaware of her situation. You have been lured here by your wish to save her, and now you've been stripped of your powers."

"What have you done to me?" Ciela demanded, "Why doesn't my magic work?"

Byrne just smirked, and pointed at the chest behind her. Ciela turned and stared at the stone in it, and was about to reach out when the chest's lid slammed shut. She kneeled and tried to open it again, but it was locked.

"Say, I have a bargain for you," said Byrne. "If you come with me now, I'll make sure your two friends get out of here alive. I can't guarantee the same for you, thought."

Ciela gulped. "What do you want from me?"

"I'm not the one who needs you," said Byrne, "I just carry out orders, in hope for a reward."

"Orders from who?" asked Ciela, turning to face him.

"You'll find out soon enough," he said, "if you come with me."

Ciela bit her lip, and nodded. Whatever the reason, it was her fault that Tina and Linebeck had been caught up in all this. It was her responsibility.

"As expected from the Spirit of Courage," sneered Byrne.

"Wait, how-?" Ciela started, but a flash of purple light enveloped her and she felt the same sensation of falling through nothingness again, only not as painful and chaotic as before. When her feet hit the floor, she almost toppled over. She looked around, and found herself in another larger room, darker than the previous one and more ominous. She spotted a huge hole in the floor in middle of the room. It was various meters in diameter, and was too dark to see inside. It was surrounded by torches, but the light seemed to be sucked into it.

Byrne was nowhere to be seen, and Ciela did not have to approach the doors at the end of the room to know that they were locked. Trying to control her trembling, she approached the dark void.

She was just a few feet away from the edge when the surface of it rippled, proving that it was not a normal pit.

For a few seconds, an eerie silence stretched out, and Ciela barely dared to breathe. She felt an enormous feeling of déjà-vu. Then, suddenly, a rumbling sound came from deep inside that hollow, and the floor trembled. A shadow burst from within the black hole, the darkness splashing into the air like water and staining the floor like ink. A wave of fear surged through Ciela as the torches were blown out, and then revived with a pale, turquoise fire. Shadows closed in on her, and the shape that now hovered above her stretched out to cover her vision of the ceiling with its long tentacles.

"No…" She whimpered, sliding to a sitting position on the cold floor. "No, no, no, no…"

It was a dream; it had to be. One of those terrible nightmares which she always had. In a second, she would wake up in Linebeck's house, or in Castle Town, or maybe even back in Mercay Island, sighing in relief. But as Bellum's eye opened and swivelled to stare at her, she knew this was no dream.

**Dear me, I'm so random. :3**

**I currently have a slight writer's block; I hope to get over it soon. X3 Please help me by reviewing with ideas!**

**If you've played all the Spirit Tracks side quests, you might have been to the Lost at Sea Station, which is, in fact, a 'replica' of the Ocean King Temple. That's why it's familiar to Ciela and there are Phantoms. You get the tracks to go there when Linebeck III gives you a force gem. :3**

**Funny how the corridor that Linebeck wanted to go through was the one with phantom, isn't it? :D Haha. Yeah... funny. Heh. I'm so hilarious.**

**You know the part when Ciela finds the stone with her powers, and almost takes it from the chest? I was tempted to write: "insert **_**da-da-da-dum**_** music" XD**

**Ok… I'll shut up now. ^^;**


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